Posts Tagged with cardiovascular distress

Angel’s trumpet
Published

Angel’s trumpet

Brugmansia_35

Common name: Angel’s trumpet, moon flower

Scientific name: Datura species, Brugmansia species

Hazard associated: All parts poisonous if ingested.

Notes: angeltrumpet-with-bee

  • These plants are grown in gardens for their attractive flowers.
  • Datura species have erect flowers. Brugmansia has pendulous flowers.
  • Contains hallucinogenic alkaloid compounds – hycosamine and scopolamine.
  • Used in shamanistic medicine.
  • Many cases of poisoning in humans arise from deliberate ingestion of the seeds or teas made with the leaves by people seeking an altered state. Also consumption of honey from bees foraging on Angel’s trumpet has been known to cause poisoning.

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

Image credits:

“Brugmansia 35” by Jan Smith from Brisbane, Australia – Angel’s TrumpetUploaded by berichard. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brugmansia_35.jpg#/media/File:Brugmansia_35.jpg
“Apis mellifera (honeybee) on Datura II (3916425357)” by Marshal Hedin from San Diego – Apis mellifera (honeybee) on Datura II. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apis_mellifera_(honeybee)_on_Datura_II_(3916425357).jpg#/media/File:Apis_mellifera_(honeybee)_on_Datura_II_(3916425357).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
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:

Foxglove
Published

Foxglove

foxglove - whole plant

Common name: Foxglove

Scientific name: Digitalis purpurea

Hazard associated: All parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested.

Notes: foxglove-closeup

  • Grown in gardens for its attractive flowers. Cultivars have been developed by plant breeders, so there are variations in colours and markings in the flower throat.
  • The leaves contain digitoxin, digoxin and saponins.
  • The plant has been used in traditional medicine, but has a narrow margin of error in terms of dosage control.
  • Poisonings by foxglove have occurred when people have drunk herbal tea containing foxglove leaves.

 

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

Image credits:

“Vallée du Marcadau 33” by Guérin Nicolas (messages) – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vall%C3%A9e_du_Marcadau_33.JPG#/media/File:Vall%C3%A9e_du_Marcadau_33.JPG
Hellebore
Published

Hellebore

hellebore in garden

Common name: Hellebore, winter rose

Scientific name: Helleborus spp. 

Hazard associated: All parts of the plant are poisonous.

Notes: Helleborus_odorus

  • These plants are commonly used in gardens for their unusual flowers.
  • The name Hellebore covers about 22 species, and many varieties exist through horticultural intervention. Flower colours include whites, greens and pinks and many are spotted.
  • Probably grazing species are most likely to ingest this plant.
  • Hellebore has been used in folk medicine formulations .

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

Image credits:

“Lenteroos rood plant”. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lenteroos_rood_plant.jpg#/media/File:Lenteroos_rood_plant.jpg
“Helleborus odorus” by Claire H. from New York City, USA – HelleboreUploaded by Rsocol. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Helleborus_odorus.jpg#/media/File:Helleborus_odorus.jpg