Surely, each of us in childhood was forbidden by our parents to approach one or another plant, saying that it was poisonous. Mother Earth is a little strange: it gave humanity food and the opportunity to survive, but at the same time it can be cruel. Many species of plants attract the eye with their beauty, but their protective mechanisms are so strong that they may well kill the “irritants” of the plant, including humans.
We are used to fear snakes and spiders, but next to beautiful plants and flowers, the instinct for self-preservation is significantly dulled, although such idleness can lead to tragic consequences. According to statistics, every year about 100 thousand people get injured in contact with dangerous plants.
Do not want to be among them? Then carefully read our new article on 10 plants that should be circumvented in a roundabout way.
1
Wisteria
This plant is also known as Wisteria, it comes from Japan, parts of the United States and China. Today, wisteria can be found anywhere in the world. In appearance, this tree-like plant resembles a vine with beautiful purple flowers. Its trunk can be quite thick, and the branches look like clusters of grapes. Plant height reaches 18 meters. Despite the pretty colors of the wisteria flowers, it is very harmful. Eating any part of the bush can cause the following symptoms:
- Migraine,
- Fever,
- Diarrhea,
- Malaise,
- Nausea.
Although all these symptoms can be quickly relieved by a cure for nausea, it is best to stay away from wisteria.
2
Prayer bowel
This plant twists around tree trunks, it belongs to perennial legumes, and reaches a maximum height of 6 meters. The plant has racemose flowers, as well as leguminous fruits, similar in appearance to peas. After ripening, the fruits open, exposing the seeds of red color. The fruits of the rosette are unusually toxic, the poison of one "pea" will be enough to kill an adult. Seeds secrete abrin, which is one of the most effective toxic substances known to people. The following symptoms of poisoning from prayer bud seeds are observed:
- Fever,
- Stomach upset,
- Hyper excitability
- Diarrhea, colic, vomiting, increased salivation.
It is interesting that, despite the toxicity of the plant, the inhabitants of India (it grows there) made rosaries from its seeds, which is why its name is associated.
3
Oleander
This bush of the type of phanerophytes (prevail in warm living conditions) can stretch up to 4 meters. The oleander flowers are cup-shaped; they are mainly collected in corymbose inflorescences. The stems of the plant have a reddish-brown hue. The habitat of the bush is mainly arid areas, deserts, semi-deserts and steppes. Oleander can be found in abundance in the forests of the Mediterranean, where it spreads in the beds of dried rivers. Seeds, flowers, leaves, milky juice, bark, and even oleander roots are hazardous to health. Symptoms of poisoning one of these parts of the plant will be as follows:
- Decreased or arrhythmia of the pulse,
- Change in color perception,
- Drowsiness and breakdown
- Abdominal pain, vomiting.
Despite the toxicity of the oleander, people use it as a decorative indoor plant or grow it on plots, using it in landscape design. If you were captivated by the beauty of the bush, remember - you need to handle it very carefully!
By the way, you can find out about the most dangerous poisons known to mankind on our site thebiggest.ru by clicking on the link.
4
Yew berry
Yew berry (or rather, its variety) is considered one of the oldest trees in Europe. The tree is characterized by slow growth, and its maximum height is about 40 meters. The leaves of yew are dark green in color, with a narrow oblong shape. With the exception of bark, all sections of yew berry are hazardous to health. Toxicity is especially pronounced when the wood and fruits of the tree dry. Eating the poisonous part of yew, you run the risk of encountering:
- Heart attack
- Impaired circulation
- Breathing problems
- Seizures, muscle colic, palpitations.
Interestingly, the harmless yew bark used to be used to make glue. People often caught birds on this glue.
5
Tevetia Peruvian
The homeland of this beautiful evergreen plant is the tropical regions of South America. In the English version, tevetia is called “lucky nut”, it grows up to 7 meters, and is characterized by year-round flowering. Any part of the plant contains cardiac glycosides, used to treat heart diseases, but harmful in overdose. The most toxic seeds of Tevetia peruvian. They contain the maximum concentration of poisons, the ingestion of which is fraught with:
- Numbness of the mouth and larynx,
- Diarrhea, vomiting and stomach pain
- Dizziness, dilated pupils,
- Arrhythmia of the heart, heart failure.
The toxicity of Peruvian tevetia does not prevent the Israeli municipal authorities from planting a plant along roads, where it pleases the eye of the inhabitants with its bright colors and green foliage.
6
Aconite
This herbaceous plant with dark blue flowers is also called a wrestler. It is distinguished by leaves of a dunate type, as well as high shoots, and prevails in the mountainous regions of Europe, for example, in the Swiss Alps. The plant feels good in a humid environment, growing among tall meadows. The most dangerous areas of aconite are roots. The roots of the species Acconitum napellus are especially toxic. When the root is eaten, the gastrointestinal tract and the cardiovascular system are affected, and neurological effects are also observed. Common signs and symptoms of aconite poisoning include:
- Muscle weakness
- Ventricular ectopia and sinus tachycardia,
- Heaviness in the stomach and chest discomfort,
- Vomiting and tingling in the face.
It is noteworthy that the name Aconitum has been used since ancient times. According to one version, this ancient Greek word means “arrows”, another version says that Aconite is translated as “rock”. There is a third version that sends us back to the time of Heracles. According to mythology, Cerberus, taken out of the kingdom of the dead, was so furious that saliva flowed from the mouths of the head of the monster, which became the seed for the plant. Since everything happened nearby the city of Akoni, the name was given in honor of him.
7
Castor oil
It is still not possible to pinpoint the homeland of castor oil because of its wide distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. According to some assumptions, it originated in Africa, other sources insist on the Middle East. Plant height ranges from a meter to ten. Large leaves have a clear shape with pointed ends and a length of 10-75 cm. Yellow fruits are characterized by a rounded shape with a kind of film of smooth or prickly structure. Castor bean fruits are called beans, they contain enough ricin to harm a person. If ricin enters the body, the following symptoms will follow:
- Intestinal bleeding
- Dangerous bleeding in the stomach
- Bleeding sores in the throat and mouth.
People learned to get rid of ricin contained in castor seeds, processing them into a medicine. As a result of processing the fruit of the plant with hot steam, the toxic substance leaves, which makes it possible to make castor oil, used both in medicine and in industry.
8
Cestrum
Cestrum can grow in the form of trees or shrubs, “populating” the tropical and subtropical zones of Central and South America. Plant height can reach 3 meters. Tubular flowers can be red, white or green. Cestrum also throws berries that secrete solanine during the ripening period. This substance can damage the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, as well as destroy the nervous system. To do this, just eat the cestrum berries. Symptoms of poisoning will be:
- Diarrhea, nausea, migraine, vomiting,
- Loss of orientation, hallucinations,
- Increased irritability, anxiety,
- Flushed face.
The toxicity of cestrum has not become an obstacle for lovers of indoor plants. It is sold in a hybrid form and attracts not only with its beauty, but also with its unpretentiousness in care.
9
Melia acedarah
Melia acedarah comes from the tropical regions of Asia, and also grows in abundance in Australia. The maximum height of this woody plant is 18 m, it has extensive deciduous branches, spreading far beyond the trunk. Rounded fruits of a light golden hue grow to 1.5 cm, and remain on the branches throughout the winter. Seeds, as a rule, have a disgusting sour taste. All parts of the plant contain various types of alkaloids. Also, melia acedarah has an unknown toxin that damages the gastrointestinal tract when any part of the plant enters the body. The main toxic substances are contained in the fruit, but the roots, flowers and bark of the plant are also potentially toxic. When the alkaloid substances of the clumps (another name for melia) enter the stomach, they cause:
- Diarrhea
- Stomach discomfort
- Profuse vomiting.
Depending on the degree of poisoning, a person may have dilated pupils, and in some cases there is a speech impairment or complete inability to speak. Leaves of melia acedaras are used in agriculture to destroy pests, since their infusion has insecticidal properties.
10
Hemlock spotted
This herbaceous plant looks like parsley, grows from 0.6 to 1.8 meters. It mainly grows in areas with a humid climate; the hemlock stalk resembles sweet potato. The stem of the plant is hollow from the outside there is a dark gray coating, in the lower part of the spot is reddish. The leaves diverge with “feathers”, reaching a length together with petioles up to 60 cm. Flowering and leaves of the hemlock spotted are easily confused with carrots or parsnips. When rubbing any part of the plant, it emits a "mouse" aroma. The toxicity of the hemlock is associated with the presence of alkaloids, poisoning of which will lead to the following symptoms:
- Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps,
- Increased salivation,
- Bouts of anxiety, weakening of the pulse,
- Tremor, migraine, dilated pupils, malaise.
Previously, their spotted hemlock was produced by medicines, but frequent cases of poisoning, as well as the absence of a positive effect, forced doctors to abandon this practice.
Conclusion
Most toxic plants disguise themselves as their edible "brethren." For example, from a distance hemlock spotted may seem to you parsley or carrots. In order not to be a victim of poisoning, it is better to know the descriptions of the most dangerous plants, and also not to pick flowers and fruits from wild bushes and trees, no matter how beautiful they may be.