Can anyone tell me what this is?
By Rjhfandclf
Essex,
United Kingdom 
This plant has suddenly grown on top of the landscaped spoil from some recent (spring) deep culvert excavations along a country track in West Sussex. It could have been jettisoned there from a garden but I don't think so as I walk by every day and it only started to grow along with the seeded grass and other natural weeds in the spoil.
It looks a bit like a cross between a squash and a lychee! The plant is 3 feet high and wide (so far); the white trumpet flowers are 3-4 inches long and the fruits are conker size. Oh, and something likes eating the leaves!
Thanks - Robin
On plant
no idea!
19 Aug, 2008
Answers
Looks like a thorn apple to me...Datura. Very toxic
19 Aug, 2008
Oh and i remember of hearing about a man in my town who had one on his alotment who got pricked by it and his whole arm swelled up...That's if it is one.
19 Aug, 2008
Hello Guybinn - and thanks! You are absolutely right. I have looked it up on a number of sites that confirm the identification with accuracy. As you say - handle with caution. This is part of the relevant quote from http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Datura+stramonium:
"The thornapple is a bitter narcotic plant that relieves pain and encourages healing. It has a long history of use as a herbal medicine, though it is very poisonous and should be used with extreme caution. The leaves, flowering tops and seeds are anodyne, antiasthmatic, antispasmodic, hallucinogenic, hypnotic, mydriatic and narcotic"
I wonder what happened to whatever has been munching its leaves!
19 Aug, 2008
If if hasn't killed them they will surely come back as addicts.
19 Aug, 2008
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PS The shown image has become cropped in loading to cut out the best view of the fruit - which is softly spiky (can still just be seen). - Robin
19 Aug, 2008