Nicotiana glauca

Nicotiana glauca is a species of wild tobacco known by the common name tree tobacco. Its leaves are attached to the stalk by petioles (leaf stems), and its leaves and stems are neither hairy nor sticky. It grows to heights of more than two meters.

Nicotiana glauca is native to South America but it is now widespread as an introduced species in other parts of the world. It is a common roadside weed in the southwestern United States, and an invasive plant species in California wildlands. This plant is also known to exist in many other parts of the world such as Africa, Australia, Europe, and Asia.

Description

Nicotiana glauca is a perennial shrubby plant that reaches a height of 6 meters. The leaves are simple, alternate and entire, elliptical to lanceolate, up to 20 cm long and 5 cm wide. The flowers are tubular, elongated, yellow and borne in racemes. The fruit is a capsule containing numerous small seeds.

Chemistry

The plant contains the toxic alkaloid anabasine. Ingestion of the plant can cause respiratory failure and death.

Ecology

Nicotiana glauca is often found in disturbed, unmanaged habitats, and it is considered a noxious weed in some places. It is a hardy plant that tolerates an array of conditions, from high rainfall to drought and from sea level to altitudes of 1,500 meters.

Cultivation and uses

In some parts of the world, Nicotiana glauca is cultivated for its attractive yellow flowers and as a barrier plant due to its height. It is also used in some cultures for its hallucinogenic properties, despite the danger of fatal overdose.

See also

• Nicotiana
• Invasive species

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