Datura metel L.

Kecubung (Datura metel) is a shrub up to 2 meters tall of the Solanaceae family, native to the Americas, used as medicine since the 10th century and now popular as a natural pesticide in Southeast Asia. Ancient Egyptians even used its flower in spiritual rituals since the early first millennium. Kecubung is traditionally believed to relieve asthma, rheumatism, and toothache, though caution is needed as it is toxic at high doses.

Kecubung can be found along roadsides, thickets, open grasslands, teak forests, and riverbanks at elevations of 1,000 m above sea level with rainfall of 60 mm/month. Prefers open places with full sunlight.

• Root a taproot.
• Stem hard, thick, many-branched, has short hair, purplish-green in color.
• Leaves green, ovate, single, thin, edges sharply lobed, opposite arrangement. Tip and base of leaf tapering, pinnate venation.
• Flowers single, trumpet-like, white or lilac in color, flower length approximately 12-18 cm.
• Fruit round-shaped, decorated on the outside with short thorns and containing small yellowish-brown seeds inside.

Propagated generatively (seed) and vegetatively (main stem cuttings from the parent plant).

Atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine, hyosine, tannin, methosdine, norhyoscyamine, norscopolamine, cuscohygrine, nicotine, alkaloid, flavonoid, steroid, saponin, terpenoid, phytosterol, phenol.

Remedy for asthma, cholera, rheumatism, lower back pain, bruises, boils, eczema and diarrhea, hemorrhoids, headache, toothache, earache, constipation, treats dandruff.

• Wash fresh kecubung leaves thoroughly with running water.
• Dry the leaves for 2 nights at room temperature. After that, continue drying using an oven at 50°C until dry.
• Grind the dried leaves into powder simplisia.
• Store the simplisia in an airtight container/plastic.

Kachobung (Madura), Padura (Tidore), Babotek (Timor), Bembe (Bima), Bulutuhe (Gorontalo), Tampong-tampong (Bugis).