| Duboisia hopwoodii | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Solanales |
| Family: | Solanaceae |
| Genus: | Duboisia |
| Species: | D. hopwoodii |
| Binomial name | |
| Duboisia hopwoodii (F.Muell.) F.Muell. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Anthocercis hopwoodii F.Muell. |
|
Duboisia hopwoodii . is a shrub native to the arid interior region of Australia. Common names include Pituri, Pitchuri thornapple or Pitcheri.[1] It has an erect habit, usually growing to between 1 and 3 metres in height and has long, narrow leaves.[2][3] Flowers are white and bell-shaped with violet-striped throats.[3] These appear between June and November in the species native range followed by purple-black, rounded berries which are 3 to 6 mm in diameter.[1][2]
Pituri is a traditional chewing tobacco made by indigenous Australians from this species. It is prepared by drying and powdering leaves, flowers and flowering stalks mixing with ash and rolling into quids.[4] Only those plants found in the Mulligan River area are used as these have a greater quantity of nicotine, in contrast to plants from other areas which contain more poisonous nornicotine and are used for animal poison.[5]
The species was first formally described by botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1861 in Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae and given the name Anthocercis hopwoodii. In 1876, von Mueller transferred the species to the genus Duboisia.[6]