Poisonous invasion: What is the ‘devil’s trumpet’ harming crops in Iraq?

Al Jazeera · 🇶🇦 public Qatar · May 28, 2026 · 675 words · By Hamza Bader

Invasive Species Agricultural Risk Botanical Science

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Al Jazeera reports: Poisonous invasion: What is the ‘devil’s trumpet’ harming crops in Iraq?.

Claims checked 13

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Al Jazeera reports: Poisonous invasion: What is the ‘devil’s trumpet’ harming crops in Iraq?.

Why it matters

The spread of datura has forced the Iraqi Interior Ministry to urge farmers and citizens to report if spotted.

Common ground

Iraq’s Ministry of the Interior has warned farmers and residents to be on the alert for an invasion of datura plants – commonly known as jimsonweed, thorn apple or devil’s trumpet.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Invasive Species story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that it contains important pharmaceutical compounds when used medically in very precise doses. These are tropane alkaloids such as atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine?
How does this story connect Invasive Species with Agricultural Risk over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/28/poisonous-invasion-what-is-the-devils-t…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 5

schedule Pending 3

verified Verified 2

check_circle Corroborated 2

help Insufficient Evidence 1

verified

Claim 1: “it contains important pharmaceutical compounds when used medically in very precise doses. These are tropane alkaloids such as atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and scientific sources (PMC) confirm the presence of tropane alkaloids such as atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine in Datura.

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web search NEUTRAL — It contains tropane alkaloids which are responsible for the psychoactive effects, and may be severely toxic. Jimsonweed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura_stramonium

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web search NEUTRAL — Although Datura contains mostly tropane alkaloids (such as hyoscyamine and scopolamine), indole, beta-carboline, and pyrrolidine alkaloids have also been ...
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8124590/

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web search NEUTRAL — They share a common tropane fragment (N-methyl-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1] octane). L-hyoscyamine and scopolamine are natural active ingredients in Datura, while ...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S09266…

schedule

Claim 2: “the Iraqi authorities are leading a comprehensive campaign to combat the plant, through biological control, pesticide spraying and public awareness”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 3: “The plant has been used medicinally for 500 years”

VERIFIED

PMC and other sources state that Datura has been used as medicine for 'millennia', which encompasses the 500-year claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Leo (also marketed as Leo: Bloody Sweet) is a 2023 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. Produced by Seven Screen Studio, it is the third instalment in the Lokesh Ci…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_(2023_Indian_film)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU), also known as the Lokiverse, is an Indian media franchise and shared universe of Tamil-language action thriller films created by Lokesh Kanagaraj. It is currently …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lokesh_Cinematic_Universe

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Solanaceae (), commonly known as the nightshades, is a family of flowering plants in the order Solanales. The family contains approximately 2,700 species, several of which are used as agricultural cro…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanaceae

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 4: “leaving only 1 percent of suitable areas worldwide uninvaded.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 5: “the plant poses a significant risk to agricultural crops because it contains highly toxic chemical compounds which affect the nervous systems of humans, animals and plants.”

VERIFIED

Multiple sources, including Wikipedia and ScienceDirect, confirm Datura is highly poisonous and contains toxic alkaloids that affect humans and animals.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The whole Datura plant is poisonous and there are numerous cases of human and animal poisoning after taking in the plant in large quantities by mistake all over ...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biolog…

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web search NEUTRAL — Datura is a genus of nine species of highly poisonous, vespertine-flowering plants belonging to the nightshade family (Solanaceae).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura

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web search NEUTRAL — It also contains toxic tropane alkaloids, including atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscamine. Although some studies on D. stramonium have reported potential ...
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8389218/

help

Claim 6: “a scientific team from the University of Seville in Spain studied databases which had recorded more than 124,000 sightings of the plant worldwide. Ultimately, they found approximately 7,444 documented locations of the species.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia to support the specific numbers (124,000 sightings, 7,444 locations) or the specific study by the University of Seville.

verified

Claim 7: “Iraq’s Ministry of the Interior has warned farmers and residents to be on the alert for an invasion of datura plants – commonly known as jimsonweed, thorn apple or devil’s trumpet.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and multiple web sources confirm that Datura stramonium is commonly known as jimsonweed, thorn apple, and devil's trumpet.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Datura stramonium, known by the common names thornapple, jimsonweed (jimson weed), or devil's trumpet, is a poisonous flowering plant in the Daturae tribe ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura_stramonium

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Datura stramonium (Jimsonweed) ... Datura stramonium, commonly known as Thorn Apple, Jimsonweed, or Devil's Trumpet, is a fascinating and highly toxic plant ...
https://www.gardenia.net/guide/datura-stramonium-jimsonweed-…

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web search NEUTRAL — May 28, 2026 ... Iraq's Ministry of the Interior has warned farmers and residents to be on the alert for an invasion of datura plants – commonly known as ...
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/28/poisonous-invasion-…

schedule

Claim 8: “57 percent of these locations are cold environments, in stark contrast with its original habitat.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 9: “The plant originates from Central America where it was used by Indigenous people before the arrival of European colonisers in traditional medicine, mainly for anaesthesia and pain relief.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia (Datura stramonium) confirms its likely origin in Central America and its use by indigenous people.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Datura is a genus of nine species of highly poisonous, vespertine-flowering plants belonging to the nightshade family (Solanaceae). They are commonly known as thornapples or jimsonweeds, but are also …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Datura metel is a shrub-like annual (zone 5–7) or short-lived, shrubby perennial (zone 8–10), commonly known in Europe as Indian thornapple, Hindu datura, or metel and in the United States as devil's …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura_metel

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Datura stramonium, known by the common names thornapple, jimsonweed (jimson weed), or devil's trumpet, is a poisonous flowering plant in the Daturae tribe of the nightshade family Solanaceae. Its like…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura_stramonium

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 10: “This plant is known for its white or purple trumpet-shaped flowers, green prickly fruit and large leaves which give off a pungent odour.”

CORROBORATED

Al Jazeera and other web sources describe the plant as having white or purple trumpet-shaped flowers, prickly fruit, and pungent leaves.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Datura is a genus of nine species of highly poisonous, vespertine-flowering plants belonging to the nightshade family. They are commonly known as thornapples or jimsonweeds, but are also known as devi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datura

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Datura plant is known for its white or purple trumpet-shaped flowers, green prickly fruits, and large leaves with a pungent odour [File: Flobbadob Wikimedia Commons].
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/28/poisonous-invasion-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Identified by their large, trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of white, purple, or yellow, and spiny seed pods, all species within this genus are extremely poisonous. Learn more about their risks in thi…
https://sharingideas.me/the-datura-genus-why-you-should-keep…

verified

Claim 11: “atropine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine, which are used to dilate pupils, treat motion sickness and for some anticonvulsant medications.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and NIH (StatPearls) confirm that scopolamine and related alkaloids are used to treat motion sickness, dilate pupils, and as anticonvulsants.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Scopolamine hydrobromide, also known as hyoscine hydrobromide, or Devil's Breath, is a medication used to treat motion sickness and postoperative nausea and ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopolamine

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Scopolamine is a medication used to manage and treat postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and motion sickness. It is in the anticholinergic class of drugs.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554397/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The classical anticholinergic anticonvulsant scopolamine, approved for human use against motion sickness, has been successfully used against OP intoxication in ...
https://chemm.hhs.gov/countermeasure_scopolamine.htm

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Claim 12: “The spread of datura has forced the Iraqi Interior Ministry to urge farmers and citizens to report if spotted.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results (one specifically mentioning Al Jazeera) confirm that the Iraqi Interior Ministry urged citizens and farmers to report datura sightings.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Ministry of Interior (MOI) is the government body charged with overseeing policing and border control in Iraq. The MOI comprises several agencies, including the Iraqi Police, Highway Patrol, Traff…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Interior_(Iraq)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public secur…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interior_ministry

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Ministry of Defence (Arabic: وزارة الدفاع العراقية) is a central government ministry of Iraq responsible for national defence. It is also involved with internal security.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Defence_(Iraq)

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 13: “When Europeans arrived in the Americas in the late 15th century... It was brought back to Europe, from where it reached the rest of the world’s continents”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms the origin of Datura stramonium in Central America and its subsequent spread, aligning with the timeline of European arrival in the late 15th century.

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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.