michaelangelica

An interesting show, but how does one get spores of any unusual edible mushrooms? Do you think store bought stuff could/would produce spores? There is a guy at Paddy's Market in Sydney that sells about 12 fresh varieties; last I looked.

Yes, a seniors moment, sorry Brugmansia suaveolens (=agreeable/sweet scented) I think there is a book, just on the Brugmansias, which may give more accurate botany PS Its hard to find a good chemical analysis of the plant. It seems however that the plant can change this at will,. A possible cause of poisoning?- "You bite me; I bite back" ? http://www.springerlink.com/content/v3182j712717h8j6/

Ther are a lot of plant pain killers (including nicotine) not many contain the opioid alkaloids TMK Perhaps it may have been Duboisia that was used?

You can also try peony flowered poppies. If you import them make sure the seed merchant does not use the word "somniflorum" They are often sold (mostly hugely overpriced) on ebay. Then there is the Californian poppy and wild lettuce which contain small amounts of the popular alkaloid. Getting addicted to it takes serious determined work and usually a syringe. Australian opium is processed, interestingly, from the pulverised poppy stems. The processing factory is in Victoria (not Tas.) but its location is obscure.

Possibly Brugmansia fragrans. A beautiful plant, it flowers 6-8 weeks after a good drink it is easily raised from seed or cutting. It is NOT Datura.

The only way to do this effectively for potted plants is to use real peat. (not coir "peat"). A huge bale of Lithuanian peat is about $50.(in Oz) I recently did this in order to grow a miracle fruit , which likes a pH of around 4-5(!!!) The problem with peat is that it holds a lot of moisture. Where plants don't like this, add river sand and/or scoria. yes river-sand and real peat are not environmentally sustainable. But compared to the BP-Gulf-oil-spill it seems a small price to pay by comparison-- at least you are growing something. One day I will work out what pH and bases and acids really are.