Brugmansia aurea

Brugmansia aurea, the golden angel's trumpet, is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family Solanaceae, endemic to Ecuador. Since March 2014, it has been listed as Extinct in the Wild by the IUCN but before that, it was listed as Vulnerable.^[1]

Brugmansia aurea
Conservation status
Extinct in the Wild  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Solanales
Family:	Solanaceae
Genus:	Brugmansia
Species:	B. aurea
Binomial name
Brugmansia aurea Lagerh.
Synonyms
Brugmansia pittieri

Despite being declared extinct in its native range, Brugmansia aurea is a popular ornamental and is widely cultivated, like the other members of its genus. It is sold and grown as a garden plant, described as a large evergreen subtropical shrub capable of growing to 20 ft (6.1 m) in height. The large, pendent, trumpet-shaped yellow or white blooms appear in summer and autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. These flowers produce a sweet and pleasant fragrance, which is at its strongest in the evening.^[2]

Etymology

The Latin specific epithet aurea means "golden".^[3]

Cultivation

Several cultivars exist, notably 'Grand Marnier' with peach-coloured flowers. As with other members of its genus, it cannot handle temperatures below 5 °C (41 °F), but in colder climates can be placed outside in a sheltered spot during the summer months.^[4][5]

Synonyms

• Brugmansia affinis
• Datura aurea
• Datura affinis

Toxicity

All parts of the plant are poisonous.^[6]

Uses

It is used as a hallucinogen. Its most potent cultivar is Culebra Borrachero, which has a high concentration of the psychoactive scopolamine.^[7] It has also been used as a truth serum.^[8] Borrachero loosely translates to "get-you-drunk", and scopolamine is also known as Devil's Breath^[9] and burundanga.^[10]