Gewöhnlicher Stechapfel vs Indischer Stechapfel

Datura stramonium compared with Datura metel

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Gewöhnlicher Stechapfel	Indischer Stechapfel
Kingdom same	Plantae (Pflanzen)	Plantae (Pflanzen)
Phylum same	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class same	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order same	Solanales (Nachtschattenartige)	Solanales (Nachtschattenartige)
Family same	Solanaceae	Solanaceae
Genus same	Datura	Datura
Species	Datura stramonium	Datura metel

Evolutionary Relationship

Gewöhnlicher Stechapfel and Indischer Stechapfel share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Datura.

Conservation Status

Gewöhnlicher Stechapfel

NE — Not Evaluated

Indischer Stechapfel

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Gewöhnlicher Stechapfel	Indischer Stechapfel
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Gewöhnlicher Stechapfel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (26 countries), Asia (20 countries), Europe (35 countries), North America (9 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (6 countries), and South America (7 countries).

Indischer Stechapfel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (12 countries), Asia (10 countries), Europe (4 countries), North America (5 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (Marshall Islands), and South America (Brazil, Colombia).

Gewöhnlicher Stechapfel

<em>Datura stramonium</em>, the common thorn apple or jimsonweed, is an annual herbaceous plant in the family Solanaceae, believed to be native to Central America or southern North America but now cosmopolitan, occurring in over 90 countries across temperate and tropical regions worldwide. It is Not Evaluated on the IUCN Red List as a widespread weed. The plant grows in disturbed soils, waste ground, roadsides, agricultural fields, and gardens. It bears large, lobed leaves with an unpleasant odor, distinctive white to pale violet trumpet-shaped flowers, and spiny seed capsules. All parts of <em>Datura stramonium</em> are highly toxic, containing tropane alkaloids including scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and atropine, which can cause severe poisoning in humans and livestock. Despite its toxicity, it has a long history of medicinal and ritual use across many cultures. The species is considered an invasive weed in many agricultural contexts. Biological traits such as seed output per plant, precise lifespan, and biomass data remain poorly documented in standardized global assessments.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 26 countries:

🇦🇴 Angola 🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇦 Canada 🇨🇳 China 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇰🇲 Comoros 🇨🇩 Congo (DRC) 🇭🇷 Croatia 🇬🇳 Guinea 🇮🇳 India 🇰🇪 Kenya 🇱🇦 Laos 🇲🇼 Malawi 🇲🇹 Malta 🇲🇿 Mozambique 🇳🇵 Nepal 🇰🇵 North Korea 🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 🇸🇨 Seychelles 🇿🇦 South Africa 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇹🇼 Taiwan 🇹🇷 Turkey 🇺🇸 United States 🇿🇲 Zambia