There are so many poisonous plants? Don't put these flowers in your mouth!

Recently, a news report said that a netizen in Zhengzhou took a group of photos with roadside flowers and was admitted to the hospital the next day - the culprit was an oleander flower that he put in his mouth.

Many plants in the Apocynaceae family are highly toxic, and the toxic substances they contain are mainly cardiac glycosides and indole alkaloids. Cardiac glycosides can cause symptoms such as arrhythmia, which will be discussed in detail later; indole alkaloids can inhibit the activity of the animal's nervous system and hematopoietic cells.

This is it - Nerium oleander, the leader of the Apocynaceae family, is often planted on the side of the highway｜Alvesgaspar / Wikimedia Commons

For example, vinblastine contained in Catharanthus roseus has an oral median lethal dose of 15 mg/kg for mice. Long-term intake can cause leukopenia even if the lethal dose is not reached.

Catharanthus roseus is also from the Apocynaceae family｜Fanghong / Wikimedia Commons

Not only oleander, don't put any plant you are not sure about into your mouth! The reason is simple -

There are so many poisonous plants!!!

During the long evolution process spanning millions of years, plants have developed many defensive skills. One of the most effective skills is to accumulate substances in their tissues that can cause harm to animals.

Reducing the toxicity of crops is an important direction for human domestication of plants. Although vegetables such as bitter melon, tomatoes, and potatoes contain toxins in their plants, it is not dangerous to eat the edible parts correctly.

Did you know that ripe bitter melon is sweet? This is used to attract birds to spread seeds｜Wikimedia Commons

Horticultural ornamental plants are domesticated for viewing purposes only, and reducing toxicity is not a major breeding goal during the domestication process, so many ornamental plants are as toxic as their wild ancestors. Fortunately, these toxins generally stay inside the cells, and poisoning will not occur unless the plant tissue is eaten or the juice is exposed.

The hydrangea in the comics cannot be eaten

In the manga Sanka Reiya, hydrangea appears quite frequently. It is used to prepare the resurrection potion from the beginning of the story, and the zombie girl Reiya often eats its leaves to prevent herself from rotting. Please note that hydrangea cannot be used as food for humans.

Hydrangea in "Sanka Reiya"

Hydrangea is the Japanese name for the hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) of the Saxifragaceae family. Most of the spherical cymes of hydrangea are sterile flowers, and the four brightly colored "petals" of each flower are actually sepals. There are many horticultural varieties of hydrangea, and the flowering period is from early summer to autumn. It is an indispensable classic plant in Japanese gardens.

There are many varieties of hydrangeas in horticultural gardens, and they come in a variety of colors. | Burle Beline / Wikimedia Commons

The toxicity of hydrangea mainly comes from the hydrangea glycosides in the cells, as well as organic acids and coumarins, which are relatively not very toxic. Dogs will vomit if they take 200 mg/kg of hydrangea ethanol extract orally. Although adults will not be in danger of life or turn into undead zombies if they eat it, they will still need to seek medical attention due to diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

It is best not to taste azalea at all

Now let's talk about the typical ornamental plants in my country - azalea. Of the nearly 1,000 species of azalea in the world, more than half are distributed in my country. Since the British began to cultivate it in the 19th century, there are about 600 horticultural varieties of azalea in the world. Azalea flowers are large and colorful, and there are also delicious fruits such as blueberries and cranberries in the same family, so there are always people who want to taste the taste of azalea.

But in the Ericaceae family, there are actually very few non-toxic and delicious fruits like blueberries. Most of them are killer fruits that contain highly toxic species. Rhododendron is the genus with the most and most common poisonous species.

The most representative toxin in rhododendron is the veratrolane, among which veratrol toxin I (34-7) is the main source of acute toxicity, which can affect the heart and nervous system of animals. The oral median lethal dose for mice is only 5.1 mg/kg. After consumption, the mice will experience symptoms such as vomiting, convulsions, muscle relaxation, and finally die from respiratory failure.

There are many different species of azalea, making identification difficult, and hybrids have even more complex pedigrees｜KirinX / Wikimedia Commons

Among the native rhododendron plants in my country, there are about 60 poisonous species. The horticultural rhododendrons we see now are the product of multiple interspecies hybridizations over the past 100 years, and the toxicity of different varieties varies. Yunnan has a tradition of eating fresh flowers, and there have been cases of poisoning after eating 100 grams of fresh native rhododendrons. Although some rhododendron species have not yet been found to be harmful to humans and animals, they have shown toxicity in animal experiments, so the best way to deal with it is not to eat a single bite.

Don't eat succulents randomly

Among common succulents, the most poisonous group is the Euphorbiaceae family. For example, the various "Kirin" species of the Euphorbia genus contain white latex in their stems and leaves, which is highly irritating. If eaten, the consequences will be more serious. This latex contains a variety of toxic substances such as diterpenoids, toxic proteins, and alkaloids. Diterpenoids are the main source of irritation, and ricin, one of the most toxic substances in the world, is a toxic protein. When planting, be sure to avoid contact between the skin and mucous membranes and the juice, and of course, do not eat it.

Inflorescence and leaves of Euphorbia milii | Karelj / Wikimedia Commons

There are not many succulents outside the Euphorbiaceae family that are poisonous. In the Crassulaceae family, Tylecodon and Cotyledon are relatively common poisonous species, and some species of Orostachys also contain toxic substances. The toxic components of these plants are mainly cardiac glycosides, which can cause arrhythmia - we will talk about this type of substance in detail later, but of course, as long as you don't eat it, there will be no problem.

Some species of the Apocynaceae family, including various horn plants and hoyas, are also poisonous, but in APGIII, the Apocynaceae family has become the subfamily of Asclepiadaceae under the Apocynaceae family, so the blame is naturally thrown to the Apocynaceae family.

Hoya carnosa (Hoya carnosa) of the subfamily Asclepiadaceae｜Frank Vincentz / Wikimedia Commosn

Araceae plants are not to be trifled with

The toxicity of Araceae plants has a very complex specific mechanism of action, and the relationship between various components and toxic effects is not very clear at present.

The juice of many ornamental plants in the Araceae family contains a large amount of calcium oxalate needles and toxic proteins, which are highly irritating. Not only is it inedible, but contact with the skin and mucous membranes will cause swelling and pain. If swallowed directly, there is a risk of suffocation due to respiratory tract irritation, and contact with the eyes may cause severe conjunctivitis.

Although it is commonly known as calla lily in many places, the calla lily in the picture and the real calla lily are not the same plant｜Manfred Heyde / wikimedia commons

Take the common calla lily (Alocasia macrorrhizos) as an example. When the substrate and air humidity are very high, the edges of its leaves will spit out small droplets that gather at the tip of the leaves. This phenomenon is called "spitting water", and the calla lily is therefore named "Dripping Guanyin". However, what the calla lily drips out is not the nectar in the Guanyin bottle, but poisonous water containing calcium oxalate needles and a variety of toxic substances such as cyanogenic glycosides and calla lignorum. Cases of poisoning caused by accidentally ingesting plant tissues and leaf spitting water occur from time to time. There have even been reports of organ failure and the need for dialysis caused by wiping wounds with calla lily leaves.

This is the calla lily, pay attention to its juice｜Achat Vente Palmiers

When viewing and pruning calla lilies, never let its juice enter your mouth or come into contact with your skin. There is no specific antidote for calla lily poisoning. If it comes into contact with your skin, you can rinse it with plenty of water, and the irritation will disappear after the needle crystals disappear. If it is poisoned internally, you need to use equipment to keep the respiratory tract open, and then use catharsis, gastric lavage, or even dialysis to deal with it.

There are many poisonous substances in Amaryllis plants

There are no fewer poisonous plants in the Amaryllis family than in the Araceae family. The source of their toxicity is mainly the various alkaloids stored in the vacuole. The total alkaloid content in the bulb of Chinese daffodil (Narcissus tazetta) is about 1%, mainly including lycorine, lycorine, pseudo-lycorine, etc. There was a report that 14 people were poisoned by eating 8 to 10 daffodil leaves together. A few years ago, there was a joke on Weibo about a British student who mistook daffodils (N. pseudo-narcissus) for garlic stems.

Everyone should know Chinese narcissus, but remember that it is poisonous｜KeywordSuggest.org

Unlike Chinese daffodils, the entire flower of the daffodil is yellow｜Wikimedia Commons

In addition to daffodils and daffodils, common ornamental plants of the Amaryllis family, such as Lycoris radiata, Hippeastrum rutilum, Leucojum vernum, and Crinum asiaticum, also contain large amounts of alkaloids, mainly lycorine.

Lycoris, also known as the "flower of the other shore", can really help people reach the other shore｜Wikimedia Commons

Be careful about colchicine when eating vegetables

The "old lily family" that kicked the Allium genus back and forth with the Amaryllidaceae also had many poisonous species. They must have disliked the Allium genus, which was now reclassified as Amaryllidaceae, for being harmless. Good and evil will eventually be punished. In the APGIII classification system based on molecular evidence, the Liliaceae family was finally torn apart. However, despite the torn apart, some of the "old lily families" contain the same highly toxic toxin - colchicine.

Colchicum flowers and leaves grow at different times. Colchicum grows leaves every spring and stores nutrients in the underground bulbs. After the leaves wither for a period of time in autumn, they grow flower stalks and bloom beautiful pink flowers｜Aloxe / Wikimeida Commons

The whole plant of Colchicum autumnale contains colchicine. The average content of colchicine in the dried bulb of Colchicum autumnale is about 0.03%. An adult weighing 60kg may die if he eats 25g of dried bulb or about 150g of fresh bulb. It has been reported that eating 10-15g of fresh bulb of Colchicum autumnale will cause dizziness, vomiting, diarrhea, and unconsciousness. One bulb weighs about 100g, which means that a bite is enough to send someone to emergency.

At present, there is no specific antidote for colchicine poisoning, and the only treatment is gastric lavage and atropine injection. In addition to acute toxicity, long-term intake of colchicine can also lead to abnormal bone marrow hematopoietic function, and in severe cases, aplastic anemia may occur.

Look at the flowers of Colchicum, note that this is not crocus, review | Wikipedia

Lily's "old general" has other killer moves

With the breakup of the Liliaceae family, many of its genera were assigned to the Asparagaceae family. The taxonomic position of these plants changed, but their toxicity remained the same - the lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis), with its fresh and lovely flowers, is one of them.

Lily of the valley is the national flower of Finland. Its flower language in French is "have happiness", but hidden under the small white flowers and bright red berries are a variety of cardiac glycosides, including convalescent glycoside, convalescent alcohol glycoside, convalescent glycoside, etc. Eating it can cause anorexia (forcing you to eat!), nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, arrhythmia, heart failure, etc.

Lily of the valley has a sweet scent when it blooms, but don't eat it just because it smells good. | Wikimedia Commons

Other ornamental plants in the Asparagaceae family, such as hyacinth, contain a variety of alkaloids that are not only toxic but can also cause allergies in some people. The bulbs of Scilla scilloides contain toxic glycosides such as scutellarin, which have a cardiotonic effect like the toxin of lily of the valley. The median lethal dose of tissue extract injected intravenously in mice is equivalent to 4 grams of leaves per kilogram.

Digitalis armed with cardiac glycosides

Digitalis purpurea belongs to the genus Digitalis in the family Scrophulariaceae in traditional taxonomy, and is classified as Plantaginaceae in APGIII. In spring and summer, Digitalis blooms very tall racemes, up to one or two meters high, and is a very eye-catching tall inflorescence flower in the garden. Because they can add a sense of depth to the flower border, many species of Digitalis are widely cultivated as garden flowers.

More than 60 kinds of cardiac glycosides have been extracted from digitalis plants, which can directly act on the myocardium and improve myocardial contractility, playing a great role in the treatment of heart failure and other heart diseases. The active ingredients in the commonly used drugs digoxin and cefotaxime are all cardiac glycosides contained in digitalis.

The official Chinese name of digitalis is "foxglove"｜ Wikimedia Commons

Although the therapeutic effect is good, digitalis cardiac glycosides have a major disadvantage, that is, the therapeutic dose is very close to the toxic dose, and the toxicity rate of the general therapeutic dose can reach 70%. This is the case even with the precise calculation of medication, and the possibility of poisoning caused by eating fresh digitalis directly is even higher - oral intake of 1 gram of dry digitalis leaves can cause poisoning, and 2 to 3 grams can be fatal.

There are many symptoms of digitalis poisoning, arrhythmia is the most important, and there are also visual symptoms such as decreased vision, yellow vision, green vision, etc. as precursors of poisoning. One thing that can make people feel a little relieved is that digitalis poisoning can be treated with antiarrhythmic drugs and specific antibodies, provided that the medical treatment is timely and the medical conditions are good enough.

The chemical formula of the cardiac glycosides often mentioned in this article looks like this｜Wikipedia

There are far more poisonous plants in the garden than the few listed above, but there is no need for enthusiasts to be frightened. Most poisonous plants are poisonous only after being eaten, and a few are poisonous after contact with the juice. If you have poisonous plants planted at home, as long as you do not eat them, do not touch them, and wash your hands as soon as possible after contact with the juice, there will be no danger of poisoning.

But if you have young children or pets at home, you need to be extra careful. Young children are light in weight and their organs are not fully developed, so they are more sensitive to toxic substances and the severity of poisoning is much greater than that of adults. The physiology of pets such as cats and dogs is different from that of humans. Many plants that do not cause serious consequences to humans are powerful poisons to pets.

Author: Desert Porcupine

Thanks to @Neyer for providing some data

This article comes from the Species Calendar, welcome to forward

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