Posts Tagged with allergenic

Gympie Gympie
Published

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
Asthma weed
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Asthma weed

Common name: Asthma weed, Sticky weed

Scientific name: Parietaria judaica

Hazard associated:  As the common name suggests, associated with asthma attacks.

Notes: Urticaceae - Parietaria judaica

  • A member of the nettle flower, it is hairy and tends to stick to clothes or pet fur on contact.
  • Commonly grows wild as a weed, particularly in disturbed areas, and in cracks in walls.
  • The pollen is highly allergenic.
  • n.

 

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

Image credits:

Yew
Published

Yew

 

Common name: Yew

Scientific name: Taxus baccata

Hazard associated: All parts poisonous except the berry flesh. Allergenic pollen.

Notes: Topiary using yew tree

  • Poisonings have occurred when children have eaten the seed along with the berry flash (technically the aril)
  • Yew leaves should never be available to animals as fodder.
  • Varieties of yew have been developed with variegated leaves and golden leaves.
  • Yew trees are very long lived and commonly used for topiary in gardens.

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

Image credits:

“Taxus baccata MHNT” by Didier Descouens – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taxus_baccata_MHNT.jpg#/media/File:Taxus_baccata_MHNT.jpg
“Yew Sheared”. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yew_Sheared.jpg#/media/File:Yew_Sheared.jpg
Poison sumac
Published

Poison sumac

toxic sumac berries

 

 

Common name: Poison sumac

Scientific name: Toxicodendron succedaneum, Toxicodendron vernix

Hazard associated: Irritant and allergenic, due to the action urushiol-induced contact dermatitis

Notes: reaction to Rhus exposure

  • The plant is commonly grown in gardens for its attractive foliage.
  • Contact with poison sumac causes severe dermatitis beginning with a rash, redness, itching and blisters. There is often swelling of the surrounding area as well.
  • There have been reported cases of death by inhalation of fumes of burning the wood of these plants

 Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron-vernix

Image credits:

Daphne
Published

Daphne

Daphne_odora

Common name: Daphne

Scientific name: Daphne odora

Hazard associated: Berries are poisonous if ingested. Extremely irritant sap.

Notes: daphne variegated with inset of berry closeup

  • The plant is commonly grown in gardens for its scent.
  • Varieties have been developed with variegated leaves (see right)
  • There have been reported cases of children being poisoned after eating the attractive red berries (see inset on left)

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

Image credits:

“Daphne odora-ja01” by Miya – Miya’s file: I took this photo in Hyogo, Japan.. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daphne_odora-ja01.jpg#/media/File:Daphne_odora-ja01.jpg
Castor Oil Plant
Published

Castor Oil Plant

castor oil plant

Common name: Castor Oil Plant, Castor Bean

Scientific name: Ricinis communis

Hazard associated: The coating of the seed is extremely poisonous. Reputedly, the seed cover is also pleasant tasting.

Notes: castor beans

  • Castor oil plants are extremely likely to trigger respiratory allergies through breathing in pollen and skin allergies from contact with sap and leaves.
  • Castor oil products have been used for a number of medicinal purposes and for industrial purposes such as biodiesel.
  • Ricin is famous as a poison used in assassinations.
  • Many animals are susceptible to the ricin poison, but ducks are known to be quite resistant to the effects of the toxin.

  Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricinus
Image credits:

“Ricinus March 2010-1” by Alvesgaspar – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ricinus_March_2010-1.jpg#/media/File:Ricinus_March_2010-1.jpg