Nicotiana clevelandii
Encyclopedia
Nicotiana clevelandii is a species of wild tobacco
known by the common name Cleveland's tobacco. It is native to northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States in California
and Arizona
, where it grows in the Sonoran Desert
and in coastal canyons. It is a glandular and sparsely hairy annual herb producing a slender stem up to about 60 centimeters in maximum height. The leaf blades may be 18 centimeters long, the lower ones borne on petioles
. The inflorescence
bears white or green-tinged flowers with tubular throats around 2 centimeters long, their bases enclosed in pointed sepal
s which are unequal in length. The flower face is about a centimeter wide with five mostly white lobes. The fruit is a capsule about half a centimeter long.
This plant was used for a variety of medicinal purposes
and smoked
in rituals by the Cahuilla
.
Nicotiana
Nicotiana is a genus of herbs and shrubs of the nightshade family indigenous to North and South America, Australia, south west Africa and the South Pacific. Various Nicotiana species, commonly referred to as tobacco plants, are cultivated and grown to produce tobacco. Of all Nicotiana species,...
known by the common name Cleveland's tobacco. It is native to northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, where it grows in the Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
and in coastal canyons. It is a glandular and sparsely hairy annual herb producing a slender stem up to about 60 centimeters in maximum height. The leaf blades may be 18 centimeters long, the lower ones borne on petioles
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
bears white or green-tinged flowers with tubular throats around 2 centimeters long, their bases enclosed in pointed sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s which are unequal in length. The flower face is about a centimeter wide with five mostly white lobes. The fruit is a capsule about half a centimeter long.
This plant was used for a variety of medicinal purposes
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
and smoked
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
in rituals by the Cahuilla
Cahuilla
The Cahuilla, Iviatim in their own language, are Indians with a common culture whose ancestors inhabited inland areas of southern California 2,000 years ago. Their original territory included an area of about . The traditional Cahuilla territory was near the geographic center of Southern California...
.