neuromuscular distress – Forage Me Not

Published September 22, 2016

Rhododendron

Common name: Rhododendron

Scientific name: Rhododendron spp., plus many cultivars

Hazard associated: All parts are poisonous if ingested.

Notes:

Commonly planted in gardens for its showy blooms which range from white through pinks to deep reddish hues.
Azaleas are closely related to rhododendrons and are also toxic if ingested.
While Rhododendrons have been used for making tea and in traditional medicine, there is no safety guidelines as toxicity varies across/within species and localities.
The compounds primarily responsible for these plants’ toxicity are called grayanotoxins. Other problematic compouns include tannins.
People have reportedly died from eating honey from bees feeding on rhododendron nectar.

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

Image credits:

By Kurt Stüber [1] – caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/mavica/index.html part of www.biolib.de, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7737
By TriviaKing at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17928714

Published September 7, 2016

Hyacinth

Common name: Hyacinth, oriental hyacinth, Dutch hyacinth

Scientific name: Hyacinthus orientalis

Hazard associated: Ingestion of all parts but most especially the bulb leads to vomiting, increased salivation, an increased heart rate and laboured breathing. Handling of bulbs can lead to skin irritations.

Notes:

These plants are grown in gardens for their attractive flowers and pleasant smell.
Selective breeding has resulted in many different variations of blue, purple, pink and white shades in the flowers.
The bulbs of hyacinths might be mistaken for onions by children and inexperienced gardeners.
Hyacinths contain the same toxin found in tulips. It is known as tuliposide.
Handling hyacinth bulbs frequently can lead to conditions such skin rashes and lesions.

Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyacinth_(plant)

Image credits:

By ElenaSchifirnet – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15124702

Published August 30, 2016

Golden Chain

Common name: Golden chain

Scientific name: Laburnum anagyroides

Hazard associated: All parts of the plant are poisonous.

Notes:

These plants are commonly used in gardens for their showy chains of golden yellow flowers.
All parts, including the seeds and berries, are extremely poisonous. Eating as few as 20 seeds or 3-4 unripe berries can kill an adult.
Traditionally, this laburnum is sometimes deliberately used to induce vomiting but as so many factors can affect the dosage strength, this is not considered a good practice in modern medicine.
Other uses include pesticide manufacture and timber for woodturning.

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

Image credits:

By 4028mdk09 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10224027

Published January 26, 2016

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 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

Published November 8, 2015

Cherry laurel

Common name: Cherry laurel

Scientific name: Prunus laurocerasus

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

Notes:

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

Published October 19, 2015

Fly agaric

Scientific name: Amanita muscaria

Common names: Fly agaric, fairy toadstool

Hazard associated: Contains toxins which can cause delirium, seizures and possibly coma states.

Notes:

Poisonings from eating fly agaric have occurred in children and in adults seeking “altered states”.
In the early stages of development of A. muscaria before the cap opens up, it might be mistaken for some of the edible puffballs.
Variations from the classic red with white spots look have led to A. muscaria being mistaken for other species which has led to mishaps.
This fungus has been associated with shamanism for centuries.
The lethal dosage is thought to be about 15 caps for an adult, less for a child.

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

Image credits:

“2006-10-25 Amanita muscaria crop” by Amanita_muscaria_3_vliegenzwammen_op_rij.jpg: Onderwijsgekderivative work: Ak ccm – This file was derived from Amanita muscaria 3 vliegenzwammen op rij.jpg:. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 nl via Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2006-10-25_Amanita_muscaria_crop.jpg#/media/File:2006-10-25_Amanita_muscaria_crop.jpg