Poisonous invasion: What is the ‘devil’s trumpet’ harming crops in Iraq?

The spread of datura has forced the Iraqi Interior Ministry to urge farmers and citizens to report if spotted.Iraq’s Ministry of the Interior has warned farmers and residents to be on the alert for an invasion of datura plants – commonly known as jimsonweed, thorn apple or devil’s trumpet.Plants like datura usually grow sparsely in desert regions but can be cultivated for their medicinal and pharmaceutical properties, and the growth of this one appears to have spun out of control, authorities say.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Iraq’s parliament approves new Ali al-Zaidi governmentlist 2 of 4Heavy sandstorm hits Iraq as hospitals battle respiratory issueslist 3 of 4Iraq launches desert sweep after reports of secret Israeli baseslist 4 of 4The pollution that outlives warend of listIn an official statement, the ministry stated that the plant poses a significant risk to agricultural crops because it contains highly toxic chemical compounds which affect the nervous systems of humans, animals and plants.This plant is known for its white or purple trumpet-shaped flowers, green prickly fruit and large leaves which give off a pungent odour. Despite its classification as a poisonous plant, it contains important pharmaceutical compounds when used medically in very precise doses.These are tropane alkaloids such as atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine, which are used to dilate pupils, treat motion sickness and for some anticonvulsant medications. The plant has been used medicinally for 500 years, Khalid Mohammed Omer, a professor of chemistry at the College of Science, University of Sulaimani, told Al Jazeera.The plant originates from Central America where it was used by Indigenous people before the arrival of European colonisers in traditional medicine, mainly for anaesthesia and pain relief. When Europeans arrived in the Americas in the late 15th century, the plant caught their attention due to its potent effects on the nervous system. It was brought back to Europe, from where it reached the rest of the world’s continents, and is now invading Iraqi agriculture, Omer said.The datura plant is commonly known as jimsonweed, thorn apple or devil’s trumpet. This particular variant is known as datura-stramonium" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="136019" data-entity-type="topic">datura stramonium [File: Sara DeAngelis Wikimedia Commons]Astonishing leapsBecause of the huge difference in climate between the datura’s original habitat and many of the countries it can now be found in, scientists are baffled about how it has managed to thrive.