Nicotiana obtusifolia – Desert Tobacco

Nicotiana obtusifolia - Desert Tobacco

Nicotiana obtusifolia - Desert Tobacco

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Nicotiana obtusifolia

Synonym: Nicotiana trigonophylla

Common Name: Desert Tobacco

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual, Biennial, Perennial

Growth Habit: Subshrub, Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Desert, Upland

Flower Color: Cream to greenish white

Flowering Season: Spring, Summer, Fall

Height: Up to 3 feet (91 cm) tall

Description: The flowers are tubular, 1 inch (2.5 cm) long, and have 5 short lobes. The lower leaves are large, oval to egg-shaped, and short-petioled, while the upper leaves are smaller, narrower, and clasp the stems. The stems and leaves are green, hairy, and sticky.

Special Characteristics

Poisonous – All parts of the plants are highly poisonous and contain the toxic pyridine alkaloids nicotine and anabasine.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae – Potato family
Genus: Nicotiana L. – tobacco
Species: Nicotiana obtusifolia M. Martens & Galeotti – desert tobacco

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map