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Some common species rank as the deadliest plants in the world
In 2014, a gardener on a country estate in the UK mysteriously died of multiple
organ failure.
The cause of his death remains unclear, but an inquest heard evidence
suggesting he had been killed by a popular flowering plant, a member of the
buttercup family.
The plant in question, called Aconitum, has blooms said to resemble monk s
hoods. But the plant is also known by other more sinister names; wolf s bane,
Devil s helmet and the Queen of Poisons.
The poison slows the heart which can result in death
These do more than hint at its villainous reputation. For Aconitum is among the
most deadly plants in the world.
The most poisonous part is the roots, though the leaves can pack a punch too.
Both contain a neurotoxin that can be absorbed through the skin. Early symptoms
of poisoning are tingling and numbness at the point of contact or severe
vomiting and diarrhoea if it has been eaten.
In 2010, Lakhvir Singh was convicted of the murder of her lover after dosing
his curry with Indian aconite. Apart from causing severe gastrointestinal
upset, the poison slows the heart rate which can result in death.
But not every case is so unfortunate. According to former poison garden warden
and expert John Robertson, our excellent vomiting mechanism means people can
live to tell their tales.
One untouchable species earns the dubious honour of being the world s most
dangerous tree
I ve spoken to people that have eaten it and survived, says Mr Robertson. It
was a couple that planted it to make their herb garden look prettier and when
the wife was picking leaves for a salad she picked a few leaves of monk s hood.
They both had a pretty bad time of it for 24 hours but survived.
The popular theory is that toxins have evolved in plants as a defence. In
certain species, chemical compounds that are produced to fight off insect pests
and other micro-organisms can do damage to big animals too.
This can be exaggerated by a phenomenom known as phototoxicity, where plant
chemicals contact human skin and then react with sunlight, resulting in lasting
burns. Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) has the worst reputation for
it, but friendly plants such as carrots, celery and limes can all blister the
skin in the wrong conditions.
One of the worst untouchable species, whatever the weather, earns the dubious
honour of being the world s most dangerous tree. The manchineel (Hippomane
mancinella) grows in northern South America up to the Florida Everglades and
throughout the Caribbean. In some parts of its range it s painted with a
cautionary red cross.
Its common Spanish names means little apple of death
The milky sap produced by this tree contains the powerful irritant phorbol.
Just brushing past it can leave you with horribly scalded skin. Sheltering
beneath it in a tropical shower can be disastrous too because even the diluted
sap can cause an extreme rash.
Burning down these trees is also a bad idea. The smoke from a burning
manchineel can temporarily blind a person and cause significant breathing
problems.
While the effects are unpleasant, skin contact with this tropical tree can t
kill you. The real death threat comes from eating its small round fruit. Its
common Spanish names means little apple of death. Ingesting the fruit can prove
fatal when severe vomiting and diarrhoea dehydrate the body to the point of no
return.
When it comes to plants that shouldn t pass your lips, one rises above the
rest, and it might be in your border right now. Ricinus communis is a shrub
that is praised for adding a dash of summer colour to gardens with green to
purple foliage, palm-shaped leaves and distinctive spiky seed capsules.
Casualties can suffer vomiting, diarrhoea and seizures for up to a week before
dying of organ failure
Castor oil, an acquaintance of anyone that needs to clear out their bowels in a
hurry, is produced from the seeds of the plant. But the nervous, or nefarious,
reader might have spotted an alarming keyword in the plant's Latin-based
scientific name: ricin. This is what earns the castor oil plant its reputation
as the world s most poisonous.
After the laxative oil has been extracted the remaining residues of its mottled
brown seeds contain a potent cocktail of toxins. Ricin kills by interfering in
cell metabolism, the basic chemical processes needed to sustain life. The
creation of essential proteins is blocked, leading to cell death. Casualties
can suffer vomiting, diarrhoea and seizures for up to a week before dying of
organ failure.
The poison s legend is polished by appearances throughout pop culture, from
Agatha Christie s novel The House of Lurking Death to the modern television
series Breaking Bad. While fictional portrayals are obviously dramatised, it s
still pretty nasty stuff.
A related poison, abrin is found with more of an obvious warning label.
So how come we can freely grow this plant in ornamental gardens?
There s a difference between poisonous and harmful. You can say what s the
most poisonous plant fairly easily theoretically looking at the toxins in it
and what they can do, says John Robertson.
But whether that plant is then harmful is all about whether you re likely to
eat it, how easy it is to administer it etcetera.
The outer casing of castor beans is often tough enough that, if swallowed
whole, it can pass through the digestive system without doing fatal harm. You d
need to chew and swallow five castor beans for a lethal dose in adults, though
perhaps just one in children. Ricin is most potent when its purified form is
injected, as in the case of the Bulgarian dissident murdered with it in 1978.
A related poison, abrin is found with more of an obvious warning label. The
seeds of the rosary pea (Abrus precatorius) are attractive bright ovals, often
red with a black spot. Where they grow in tropical regions they are used to
make bracelets, rosary necklaces or to adorn instruments. They even turned up
in the shop at the UK s Eden Project attraction in 2011.
Abrin is similar to ricin but reportedly more powerful in its pure form.
Fortunately, the peas have a hard outer shell that often prevents the toxins
being absorbed into the body. In one case where the ground powder of the seeds
was ingested, rapid medical treatment led to a full recovery.
Fortunately, death by plant poison is pretty rare in the age of modern medicine
thanks to quick diagnosis and good supportive care. And many plant-derived
toxins have to be purified to be lethal.
So though plants can be deadly, perhaps the most dangerous thing in the garden
is actually an accidental gardener.
BBC Original Article