Nicotiana rustica

Uncommon card · No. 167970

Nicotiana rustica, commonly known as Aztec tobacco or strong tobacco, is a rainforest plant in the family Solanaceae native to South America. It is a very potent variety of tobacco, containing up to nine times more nicotine than common species of Nicotiana such as Nicotiana tabacum (common tobacco). More specifically, N. rustica leaves have a nicotine content as high as 9%, whereas N. tabacum leaves contain about 1 to 3%. The high concentration of nicotine in its leaves makes it useful for producing pesticides, and it has a wide variety of uses specific to cultures around the world. However, N. rustica is no longer cultivated in North America (except in small quantities by certain Native American tribes) as N. tabacum has replaced it.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain