Angel's trumpets (Brugmansia)

Cubung gunung or angel's trumpets or Brugmansia are plant genera in Solanaceae, woody shrubs, large flowers that are pendulous and fragrant at night. Seven officially recorded species in this genus are Brugmansia arborea, Brugmansia aurea, Brugmansia insignis, Brugmansia sanguinea, Brugmansia suaveolens, Brugmansia versicolor and Brugmansia vulcanicola.

The Brugmansia species contain tropane alkaloids of the type that have lethal nighthade toxicity. Large bushes or small trees, semi-woody stems, multiple branches and 3-11 m tall. The leaves are arranged along the stem, 10-30 cm long and 4-18 cm wide and often covered with fine hair.

The flowers are large, pendulous, trumpet-shaped, 14-50 cm long and 10-35 cm wide, white, yellow, pink, orange, green or red. Most have a strong aroma at night to attract pollinator moths. Brugmansia sanguinea is not fragrant but red flowers are favored by hummingbirds.

Cubung gunung contain important alkaloids including scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and atropine which have been proven as medical values for spasmolytic, anti-asthmatic, anticholinergic, narcotics, and anesthetic properties, although many of these alkaloids have been synthetically synthesized.

Angel's trumpets are traditionally used in many cultures in medical preparation and as an entheogen in religious or spiritual ceremonies. Traditional external uses include treating aches and pains, dermatitis, orchitis, arthritis, rheumatism, headaches, infections, and as anti-inflammatory.

Very low internal use includes treatments for stomach and muscle diseases, decongestants, to excrete parasites and as a sedative. Traditional healers use Brugmansia for initiation, divination, and black magic rituals.

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Subfamily: Solanoideae
Tribe: Datureae
Genus: Brugmansia
Species: Brugmansia arborea, Brugmansia aurea, Brugmansia insignis, Brugmansia sanguinea, Brugmansia suaveolens, Brugmansia versicolor and Brugmansia vulcanicola.

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