Posts Tagged with tree

Plant with a woody stem which is over 3 metres high at maturity.

Cherry laurel
Published

Cherry laurel

Cherry laurel

Common name: Cherry laurel

Scientific name: Prunus laurocerasus

Hazard associated: Leaves, fruit and seed are toxic if ingested.

Notes: Cherry laurel fruit

  • Children may be attracted to the berries which change from green to red to black.
  • Used for landscaping purposes e.g. hedges, street trees as it is a hardy, attractive plant
  • May become an invasive weed in parts of Australia.
  • Leaves are sometimes mistaken for Bay leaves (Laurus nobilis) which has led to cases of poisoning.
  • The leaves and seeds contain cyanogenic glycoside and amygdalin hence having  the “typical almond smell” of cyanide when macerated. It is even dangerous to shred clippings from this plant.

 Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_laurocerasus

Image credits:

“Prunus laurocerasus fruit detail – geograph.org.uk – 567699” by Evelyn Simak. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prunus_laurocerasus_fruit_detail_-_geograph.org.uk_-_567699.jpg#/media/File:Prunus_laurocerasus_fruit_detail_-_geograph.org.uk_-_567699.jpg
Coral tree
Published

Coral tree

Erythrina flowers

Common name: Coral tree, Bat’s Wing Coral tree

Scientific name: Erythrina vespertilio, Erythrina x sykesii, other Erythrina spp.

Hazard associated: Leaves, bark and seeds are toxic if ingested.

Notes:

  • Children may be attracted to the bean shaped seeds.
  • These plants are grown in gardens for their attractive flowers.
  • Erythrina contains more than 100 species which display  differential toxicity.

 Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythrina

Image credits:

Gympie Gympie
Published

Gympie Gympie

Gympie gympie

Common name: Gympie gympie, stinging bush
Scientific name: Dendrocnide moroides
Hazard associated: The plants are covered in hairs which inject a potent neurotoxin.

Notes:gympie gympie fruit

  • Gympie Gympie is a rainforest tree found in Northern Australia (primarily Queensland) and Indonesia.
  • The plant sheds hairs so you do not need to touch it to be affected; just being in its vicinity has resulted in itching and nose bleeds.
  • The fruit is reputed to be edible but all hairs need to be removed first.
  • Contact with the plant hairs results in severe itching which may persist for months. The injured area becomes covered with small, red spots which can join together to form a red, swollen mass.
  • Repeated exposure increases the severity of the allergenic effect.

 
Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendrocnide_moroides

Image credits:
“Stinging tree” by Cgoodwin – Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stinging_tree.JPG#/media/File:Stinging_tree.JPG
Horse chestnut
Published

Horse chestnut

Horse chestnut

Common name: Horse chestnut

Scientific name: Aesculus  hippocastanum and related species in this genus

Hazard associated: Although the nuts look attractive and edible, they are poisonous in their raw form.

Notes:

  • All parts of the plant are poisonous.
  • Although horse chestnut extract is used as a herbal medicine in some countries, it is still regarded as poisonous in untreated form.
  • The edible chestnut (Castanea species) is not related to the horse chestnut although the nuts look superficially similar. See a side-by-side comparison at http://www.cityfarmer.info/2009/10/12/harvesting-edible-chestnuts-in-vancouver/

Horse chestnut and Edible Chestnut

Horse chestnutEdible chestnut
Horse chestnut flowers and leaves
Horse chestnut flowers and leaves
Chestnut_flowers
Edible chestnut flowers
Closeup of horse chestnut seed cover
Closeup of horse chestnut seed cover
edible chestnut seed cover
Edible chestnut seed cover

  Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesculus_hippocastanum

Image credits

“Aesculus hippocastanum fruit” by Solipsist – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aesculus_hippocastanum_fruit.jpg#/media/File:Aesculus_hippocastanum_fruit.jpg
“Chestnut flowers” by Taken byfir0002 | flagstaffotos.com.auCanon 20D + Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 – Own work. Licensed under GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chestnut_flowers.jpg#/media/File:Chestnut_flowers.jpg
“Castanea sativa 0006” by H. Zell – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Castanea_sativa_0006.jpg#/media/File:Castanea_sativa_0006.jpg
Yellow oleander
Published

Yellow oleander

yellow oleander

Common name: Yellow oleander

Scientific name: Cascabela thevetia or sometimes listed as Thevetia peruviana

Hazard associated: All parts of the plant are poisonous.

Notes: yellow oleander fruit and seed

  • These plants are commonly used in gardens for their showy flowers.
  • The fruit is deliberately eaten as a suicide method in some countries.
  • The fruits are green initially, then red then black when ripe.
  • The seeds are brown and irregularly shaped.
  • Once they drop from the tree, the fruit are thought to pose a particular hazard to cats and dogs who ingest them.

 Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascabela_thevetia

Image credits:

“Cascabela thevetia1MTFL” by Bernard Loison – http://www.mytho-fleurs.com/. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cascabela_thevetia1MTFL.jpg#/media/File:Cascabela_thevetia1MTFL.jpg
“Thevetia peruviana – Fruits” by Genet at German Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thevetia_peruviana_-_Fruits.jpg#/media/File:Thevetia_peruviana_-_Fruits.jpg