Victoria Saxe
Jimson Weed

Jimson Weed

Common name Jimson weed or Sacred Thorn apple
Scientific Name Datura wrightii
Family Solanaceae or nightshade
Medium Colored pencil on paper
Size 17" x 13.5"

The datura is one of my favorite plants. It is beautiful and deadly poisonous. It has a subtle fragrance which attracts its pollinator, the sphinx moth. The moth has a pattern on its thorax, which looks somewhat like a scull. Perhaps it is warning us of the plant's dangers. Here, I wished to give the viewer the unusual view of the fruit and seeds.

Scientific Illustration