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Poisonous Plant – Mayapple
Berberidaceae (Podophyllum peltatum) identification: eastern woodland plant to 2', providing ground cover in a forest. Large, deeply divided leaves resembling umbrellas are present, and in July, a solitary white blossom yields a consumable fruit. By late summer, the plant withers. The plant's other sections are all poisonous.
Habitat: Native to eastern North America's deciduous woodlands.
Toxins: toxic roots, leaves, and rhizome. Podophyllotoxin, found in mayapples, is cytostatic and applied topically to treat genital and viral warts. Podophyllum resin has a minimum of sixteen additional active substances, such as quercetin, α- and β-peltatins, podophyllic acid, and picropodophyllin.
Signs: Strongly cathartic!
Overconsumption can result in death and a coma. Podophyllum resin is a strong purging agent that acts as a dramatic cathartic. It is extremely irritating to the intestinal mucosa and causes violent peristalsis. The FDA views the use of pelatins as a laxative to be dangerous since it might irritate the colon. Toxic laxatives are less prevalent.
First Aid: Get medical attention right away and contact a poison center. No known particular counteragent. Emeses could be helpful in the early stages of poisoning. Hemodialysis is unsuccessful due to the fat-soluble chemistry, although severe symptoms can be cured in a matter of hours with charcoal hemoperfusion. Use petroleum jelly to remove any irritating resin that has been applied topically. If you make eye contact, wash your face a lot with warm water.
Note: Fruit should be consumed sparingly when it is ripe. A few types of malignant neoplasms (cancerous growths) have showed promise in response to etoposide and teniposide from mayapple.
Berberidaceae (Podophyllum peltatum) identification: eastern woodland plant to 2', providing ground cover in a forest. Large, deeply divided leaves resembling umbrellas are present, and in July, a solitary white blossom yields a consumable fruit. By late summer, the plant withers. The plant's other sections are all poisonous.
Habitat: Native to eastern North America's deciduous woodlands.
Toxins: toxic roots, leaves, and rhizome. Podophyllotoxin, found in mayapples, is cytostatic and applied topically to treat genital and viral warts. Podophyllum resin has a minimum of sixteen additional active substances, such as quercetin, α- and β-peltatins, podophyllic acid, and picropodophyllin.
Signs: Strongly cathartic!
Overconsumption can result in death and a coma. Podophyllum resin is a strong purging agent that acts as a dramatic cathartic. It is extremely irritating to the intestinal mucosa and causes violent peristalsis. The FDA views the use of pelatins as a laxative to be dangerous since it might irritate the colon. Toxic laxatives are less prevalent.
First Aid: Get medical attention right away and contact a poison center. No known particular counteragent. Emeses could be helpful in the early stages of poisoning. Hemodialysis is unsuccessful due to the fat-soluble chemistry, although severe symptoms can be cured in a matter of hours with charcoal hemoperfusion. Use petroleum jelly to remove any irritating resin that has been applied topically. If you make eye contact, wash your face a lot with warm water.
Note: Fruit should be consumed sparingly when it is ripe. A few types of malignant neoplasms (cancerous growths) have showed promise in response to etoposide and teniposide from mayapple.
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Poisonous Plant -Jack in the Pulpit
Araceae (Arisaema triphyllum) Identification: one plant, usually with a central stalk for blooming. If you put a little imagination to work, you can picture a preacher in a pulpit. Flower is a spathe and spadix.
Habitat: The eastern and central United States' moist woodlands.
toxins: oxalate of calcium.
Symptoms: If not prepared correctly (or even palatable), this plant can be harmful and contraceptive. burning sensation in the mouth and throat; consumption causes vomiting, diarrhea, swollen lips, sore eyes, nausea, and slurred speech.
First Aid: avoid making someone throw up.
Use a cold, damp cloth to wipe your mouth. Unless directed differently by a qualified healthcare provider, give the patient milk to drink (i.e., no milk if the patient is vomiting, experiencing convulsions, or has any diminished degree of alertness that may make it hard to swallow). Go to the emergency department to receive medical attention. stomach could be cleared. If there is stomach and intestinal involvement, a lot of water may be given. Medication may consist of famotidine, diphenhydramine, or adrenaline. The anaphylactic reaction is treated.
Regarding skin contact: Use water to cleanse the skin. If any plant matter got in your eyes, wash them out with water.
Note: I experienced tremendous stress, elevated heart rate, tongue burn, and similar symptoms to a panic attack as a result of my calcium oxalate poisoning. Mylanta and water were the doctor's recommendations, and they were successful. After drying the root and seemingly denaturing the oxalate, Native Americans roasted the bulbous growths for sustenance.
Araceae (Arisaema triphyllum) Identification: one plant, usually with a central stalk for blooming. If you put a little imagination to work, you can picture a preacher in a pulpit. Flower is a spathe and spadix.
Habitat: The eastern and central United States' moist woodlands.
toxins: oxalate of calcium.
Symptoms: If not prepared correctly (or even palatable), this plant can be harmful and contraceptive. burning sensation in the mouth and throat; consumption causes vomiting, diarrhea, swollen lips, sore eyes, nausea, and slurred speech.
First Aid: avoid making someone throw up.
Use a cold, damp cloth to wipe your mouth. Unless directed differently by a qualified healthcare provider, give the patient milk to drink (i.e., no milk if the patient is vomiting, experiencing convulsions, or has any diminished degree of alertness that may make it hard to swallow). Go to the emergency department to receive medical attention. stomach could be cleared. If there is stomach and intestinal involvement, a lot of water may be given. Medication may consist of famotidine, diphenhydramine, or adrenaline. The anaphylactic reaction is treated.
Regarding skin contact: Use water to cleanse the skin. If any plant matter got in your eyes, wash them out with water.
Note: I experienced tremendous stress, elevated heart rate, tongue burn, and similar symptoms to a panic attack as a result of my calcium oxalate poisoning. Mylanta and water were the doctor's recommendations, and they were successful. After drying the root and seemingly denaturing the oxalate, Native Americans roasted the bulbous growths for sustenance.
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Poisonous Plant - Skunk Cabbage
Araceae (Symplocarpus foetidus, Lysichitum americanus) identification: large, green, elephant-ear-like leaves are lustrous and waxy in appearance with a “skunky” odor when torn. The flower is a colorful, antique sheath encircling a flower spike that resembles a club (spadix).
Habitat: Lowlands, bogs, and other wetlands with a tree cover are home to both western and eastern species.
Toxins: calcium oxalate crystals (raphides); do not use this plant's fresh portions for food or medicinal purposes.
Symptoms include a burning feeling when consumed uncooked and difficulty swallowing since oxalates are corrosive. Pain and stress usually cause respiration and heart rate to increase if consumed. Additionally, be prepared for numbness, burning in the lips, mouth, and tongue, swelling in the lips or tongue, and gastrointestinal symptoms such diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain.
First Aid: self-limiting; seek medical attention by fleeing to the emergency room. The doctor might advise emptying the stomach or prescribe medications like Mylanta to soothe the digestive tract. If the person has stomach or intestinal involvement, they should drink a lot of water. Administered drugs can be famotidine, diphenhydramine, or adrenaline. The anaphylactic reaction is treated.
One of the first plants to bloom, pushing through ice and snow before flowering, this uncommon endothermic plant generates heat.
Araceae (Symplocarpus foetidus, Lysichitum americanus) identification: large, green, elephant-ear-like leaves are lustrous and waxy in appearance with a “skunky” odor when torn. The flower is a colorful, antique sheath encircling a flower spike that resembles a club (spadix).
Habitat: Lowlands, bogs, and other wetlands with a tree cover are home to both western and eastern species.
Toxins: calcium oxalate crystals (raphides); do not use this plant's fresh portions for food or medicinal purposes.
Symptoms include a burning feeling when consumed uncooked and difficulty swallowing since oxalates are corrosive. Pain and stress usually cause respiration and heart rate to increase if consumed. Additionally, be prepared for numbness, burning in the lips, mouth, and tongue, swelling in the lips or tongue, and gastrointestinal symptoms such diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain.
First Aid: self-limiting; seek medical attention by fleeing to the emergency room. The doctor might advise emptying the stomach or prescribe medications like Mylanta to soothe the digestive tract. If the person has stomach or intestinal involvement, they should drink a lot of water. Administered drugs can be famotidine, diphenhydramine, or adrenaline. The anaphylactic reaction is treated.
One of the first plants to bloom, pushing through ice and snow before flowering, this uncommon endothermic plant generates heat.
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Poisonous Plant – Pokeweed
Phytolaccaceae (Phytolacca americana) identification: Ovate leaves, pointed at tip; purple stem when mature; elongated clusters of purple berries. grows from a big rootstock with thick, purple, hollow stems. May reach a height of 10 feet.
The plant's habitat includes gardens, waste areas, empty lots, and the edges of wooded areas.
Toxins: every portion, especially the root, is toxic. Formic acid, tannin, phytolaccine, and resinous acid are chemically active compounds. Saponins are the parts of the plant that are harmful.
Symptoms: consuming undercooked vegetables can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping in the abdomen, dermatitis, dizziness, and weakness. Seizures, low blood pressure, fast heartbeat, blocking of the electrical impulses that cause the heart to contract, and even death are possible outcomes in both acute and advanced reactions.
First Aid: Within 24 hours, symptoms go away with a mild dosage that is self-limiting. Ingestion of large amounts is a medical emergency; remove the patient.
Note: Red food coloring is made by the food industry from the juice of the berries. Pokeweed tincture or alcohol extract is used by farmers and dairy farmers to lessen udder swelling in cows. Pick young green leaves before the stems turn purple for best safety. Young green leaves can be eaten after being thoroughly cooked in a change of water and then sautéed. Pokeweed antiviral protein, or PaP, has been proven in lab studies to have anticancer effects in mice and to have antiviral properties against viruses like the human immunodeficiency virus and herpes. Certain formulations of PaP may prove effective against hormone-dependent cancer cells, such as those found in ovarian, breast, and prostate cancers, according to other studies.
Phytolaccaceae (Phytolacca americana) identification: Ovate leaves, pointed at tip; purple stem when mature; elongated clusters of purple berries. grows from a big rootstock with thick, purple, hollow stems. May reach a height of 10 feet.
The plant's habitat includes gardens, waste areas, empty lots, and the edges of wooded areas.
Toxins: every portion, especially the root, is toxic. Formic acid, tannin, phytolaccine, and resinous acid are chemically active compounds. Saponins are the parts of the plant that are harmful.
Symptoms: consuming undercooked vegetables can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping in the abdomen, dermatitis, dizziness, and weakness. Seizures, low blood pressure, fast heartbeat, blocking of the electrical impulses that cause the heart to contract, and even death are possible outcomes in both acute and advanced reactions.
First Aid: Within 24 hours, symptoms go away with a mild dosage that is self-limiting. Ingestion of large amounts is a medical emergency; remove the patient.
Note: Red food coloring is made by the food industry from the juice of the berries. Pokeweed tincture or alcohol extract is used by farmers and dairy farmers to lessen udder swelling in cows. Pick young green leaves before the stems turn purple for best safety. Young green leaves can be eaten after being thoroughly cooked in a change of water and then sautéed. Pokeweed antiviral protein, or PaP, has been proven in lab studies to have anticancer effects in mice and to have antiviral properties against viruses like the human immunodeficiency virus and herpes. Certain formulations of PaP may prove effective against hormone-dependent cancer cells, such as those found in ovarian, breast, and prostate cancers, according to other studies.
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Poisonous Plant - Moonseed
menispermaceae (Menispermum canadense)
Identification: 33-foot-tall, woody vine with green shoots creeping up.
The leaves have a pointy tip and are rounded or heart-shaped. Occasionally, they are not round and have three shallow palmate lobes that range in width from 6 to 10 inches. Unripe green fruit can be mistaken for wild grapes; ripe fruit is toxic and red, and the seed has a crescent moon form on it. To find the crescent, remove the seed from the fruit.
Habitat: Found in the eastern United States and Canada's wetlands, lowlands, waste grounds, streams, and pond edges. Check seed for crescent; habitat overlaps and might be confused with wild grape.
Toxins: The Canadian moonseed fruit is lethal when consumed. The fruit has an awful flavor, and most people spit it out of their mouths very fast after eating it. The main poisons are the bitter alkaloids, berberine, and menispine.
Convulsions and any combination of the following symptoms may be present: upset stomach, vomiting, watery eyes and nose, gastroenteritis, bloody diarrhea, lip and mouth irritation, dysphagia, difficulty breathing, excessive salivation, shock, and maybe even death.
A medical emergency is first aid. Make a call to the poison control hotline and leave right away. One could empty their stomach.
Note: the cherokee utilized the root infusion as a diuretic, laxative, and remedy for arthritis and sexual illnesses.
menispermaceae (Menispermum canadense)
Identification: 33-foot-tall, woody vine with green shoots creeping up.
The leaves have a pointy tip and are rounded or heart-shaped. Occasionally, they are not round and have three shallow palmate lobes that range in width from 6 to 10 inches. Unripe green fruit can be mistaken for wild grapes; ripe fruit is toxic and red, and the seed has a crescent moon form on it. To find the crescent, remove the seed from the fruit.
Habitat: Found in the eastern United States and Canada's wetlands, lowlands, waste grounds, streams, and pond edges. Check seed for crescent; habitat overlaps and might be confused with wild grape.
Toxins: The Canadian moonseed fruit is lethal when consumed. The fruit has an awful flavor, and most people spit it out of their mouths very fast after eating it. The main poisons are the bitter alkaloids, berberine, and menispine.
Convulsions and any combination of the following symptoms may be present: upset stomach, vomiting, watery eyes and nose, gastroenteritis, bloody diarrhea, lip and mouth irritation, dysphagia, difficulty breathing, excessive salivation, shock, and maybe even death.
A medical emergency is first aid. Make a call to the poison control hotline and leave right away. One could empty their stomach.
Note: the cherokee utilized the root infusion as a diuretic, laxative, and remedy for arthritis and sexual illnesses.
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Poisonous Plant - Milkweed
Asclepiadaceae (Asclepias syriaca and other species) Identification: a stomach-shaped seedpod with rows of silky white hairs between the seeds and seeds in follicles. big, ovate leaves that, when broken, release a sap that resembles milk.
Habitat: common waste-ground and roadside plant.
Toxins: Milkweed gets its name from its milky-colored juice, which also includes cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, latex, and galitoxin. When ingested in quantities equivalent to 10% or more of the animal's body weight, a few species are known to be poisonous. A lot of milkweed, that is.
Symptoms: A milkweed overdose causes spasms, weakness, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
First Aid: Before beginning any treatment, see a medical professional. Medication and sedation are used as treatments to prevent arrhythmias brought on by cardiac glycosides.
Note: There are many alternative safe plant options without cardiac glycosides, even if A. syriaca's blossoms and young shoots are edible with careful cooking (see FalconGuides’ Basic Illustrated Edible Wild Plants and Useful Herbs by Jim Meuninck). Native Americans in Africa and South America employ cardiac glycoside-poisoned arrows to kill wildlife. Mild contact dermatitis can also be brought on by milkweed. As the only food source for monarch butterfly larvae, milkweed is a visually pleasing and useful addition to any garden. The aroma of flowers is incredibly fragrant.
Asclepiadaceae (Asclepias syriaca and other species) Identification: a stomach-shaped seedpod with rows of silky white hairs between the seeds and seeds in follicles. big, ovate leaves that, when broken, release a sap that resembles milk.
Habitat: common waste-ground and roadside plant.
Toxins: Milkweed gets its name from its milky-colored juice, which also includes cardiac glycosides, alkaloids, latex, and galitoxin. When ingested in quantities equivalent to 10% or more of the animal's body weight, a few species are known to be poisonous. A lot of milkweed, that is.
Symptoms: A milkweed overdose causes spasms, weakness, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
First Aid: Before beginning any treatment, see a medical professional. Medication and sedation are used as treatments to prevent arrhythmias brought on by cardiac glycosides.
Note: There are many alternative safe plant options without cardiac glycosides, even if A. syriaca's blossoms and young shoots are edible with careful cooking (see FalconGuides’ Basic Illustrated Edible Wild Plants and Useful Herbs by Jim Meuninck). Native Americans in Africa and South America employ cardiac glycoside-poisoned arrows to kill wildlife. Mild contact dermatitis can also be brought on by milkweed. As the only food source for monarch butterfly larvae, milkweed is a visually pleasing and useful addition to any garden. The aroma of flowers is incredibly fragrant.
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Poisonous Plant – Western Larkspurs
ranunculaceae (Delphinium glaucum)
Identification: One distinct feature of larkspurs is their little, star-shaped flowers, which have two petals and one sepal. Arranged flowers hang from a hairy stalk that can reach a maximum length of 16". A larkspur's leaves are strongly lobed and connected at one place. The leaves could also seem bristly. Plant to 4 feet; lower at higher elevations.
Habitat: This fly angler visits numerous high-altitude streams and lakes, as well as numerous southern states where larkspur grows wild. In the mountainous West, D. glaucum is most commonly found in damp regions.
Toxicity: Diterpenoid alkaloids, such as methyllycaconitine (Mla), are extremely lethal.
The symptoms are contingent on the quantity consumed. Convulsions and respiratory system paralysis are symptoms of fatal poisoning. Autopsies show dark, severely clogged kidneys, stomach and small intestine bloating (including congestion of the superficial blood vessels), and inflammation and/or congestion of the windpipe. There is not much information on poisonings that affect humans; grazing animals are the main issue. Burning in the mouth and throat, disorientation, headaches, and vomiting are all symptoms of larkspur. Breathing difficulties, paralysis, convulsions, asphyxia, and circulatory collapse are the symptoms of severe poisoning. Most sufferers do, however, recover in less than a day.
First Aid: The poisoning caused by larkspur has no known cure. Because the toxin tastes bitter, scorching, and unappealing, very little of it is usually ingested, making fatalities unlikely.
Although larkspur is advertised for gardens, it should be grown carefully if children or pets are likely to visit the area because to its attractive foliage and blooms.
ranunculaceae (Delphinium glaucum)
Identification: One distinct feature of larkspurs is their little, star-shaped flowers, which have two petals and one sepal. Arranged flowers hang from a hairy stalk that can reach a maximum length of 16". A larkspur's leaves are strongly lobed and connected at one place. The leaves could also seem bristly. Plant to 4 feet; lower at higher elevations.
Habitat: This fly angler visits numerous high-altitude streams and lakes, as well as numerous southern states where larkspur grows wild. In the mountainous West, D. glaucum is most commonly found in damp regions.
Toxicity: Diterpenoid alkaloids, such as methyllycaconitine (Mla), are extremely lethal.
The symptoms are contingent on the quantity consumed. Convulsions and respiratory system paralysis are symptoms of fatal poisoning. Autopsies show dark, severely clogged kidneys, stomach and small intestine bloating (including congestion of the superficial blood vessels), and inflammation and/or congestion of the windpipe. There is not much information on poisonings that affect humans; grazing animals are the main issue. Burning in the mouth and throat, disorientation, headaches, and vomiting are all symptoms of larkspur. Breathing difficulties, paralysis, convulsions, asphyxia, and circulatory collapse are the symptoms of severe poisoning. Most sufferers do, however, recover in less than a day.
First Aid: The poisoning caused by larkspur has no known cure. Because the toxin tastes bitter, scorching, and unappealing, very little of it is usually ingested, making fatalities unlikely.
Although larkspur is advertised for gardens, it should be grown carefully if children or pets are likely to visit the area because to its attractive foliage and blooms.
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Poisonous Plant – Horse nettle
Solanum (Solanum carolinense)
Identification: 3' tall, prickly plant. leaves and spine-adorned stalks. huge teethed leaves that are coarse and uneven; white bloom with yellow reproductive organs.
Fields, waste areas, and roadside areas from coast to coast make up the habitat.
Toxins: solanum and alkaloids.
Symptoms: gut and stomach ache, vomiting.
First Aid: While fatalities are uncommon, prompt medical attention is required. Children experience fatal intoxications more frequently. Emeses, hydration replenishment, and supportive care—including gastroenteritis treatment—are all necessary for first aid.
Note: Toxic berry resembles a little tomato and appears appetizing.
Solanum (Solanum carolinense)
Identification: 3' tall, prickly plant. leaves and spine-adorned stalks. huge teethed leaves that are coarse and uneven; white bloom with yellow reproductive organs.
Fields, waste areas, and roadside areas from coast to coast make up the habitat.
Toxins: solanum and alkaloids.
Symptoms: gut and stomach ache, vomiting.
First Aid: While fatalities are uncommon, prompt medical attention is required. Children experience fatal intoxications more frequently. Emeses, hydration replenishment, and supportive care—including gastroenteritis treatment—are all necessary for first aid.
Note: Toxic berry resembles a little tomato and appears appetizing.
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Poisonous Plant -Water Hemlock
Apiaceae or umbelliferae (Cicuta maculata)
identification: tall plant (to 8'). Its leaves are compound, with 2"–4" long, deeply toothed (serrated) lance-shaped leaflets; white umbrella-shaped flower clusters; hollow stems; visually, it resembles poison hemlock in many respects, and it resembles several of its edible family members dangerously. The leaf venation is unique in that it ends at the notch rather than the tip. This vein serves as an example.
Widely dispersed throughout North America is their habitat. Found in the vicinity of springs, seeps, mountain meadows, marshes, streamsides, and snowmelt.
Toxins: Cicutoxin, one of the deadliest plants in North America.
Within 15 to 60 minutes of consumption, symptoms include nausea, increased salivation, and convulsions. These symptoms frequently result in fast deterioration and death.
First Aid: An emergency medical situation that needs IV diazepam or other anticonvulsants since it is frequently lethal without prompt treatment. cure acidosis and keep the pee flowing. It could be essential to use intubation and mechanical ventilation. Long-term mental impairments in survivors are possible.
Be aware that this plant is sometimes mistaken for another umbelliferae. Learn about this family (fennel, parsley, carrot, cow parsnip, etc.). Find the hemlocks and learn how to recognize them.
Apiaceae or umbelliferae (Cicuta maculata)
identification: tall plant (to 8'). Its leaves are compound, with 2"–4" long, deeply toothed (serrated) lance-shaped leaflets; white umbrella-shaped flower clusters; hollow stems; visually, it resembles poison hemlock in many respects, and it resembles several of its edible family members dangerously. The leaf venation is unique in that it ends at the notch rather than the tip. This vein serves as an example.
Widely dispersed throughout North America is their habitat. Found in the vicinity of springs, seeps, mountain meadows, marshes, streamsides, and snowmelt.
Toxins: Cicutoxin, one of the deadliest plants in North America.
Within 15 to 60 minutes of consumption, symptoms include nausea, increased salivation, and convulsions. These symptoms frequently result in fast deterioration and death.
First Aid: An emergency medical situation that needs IV diazepam or other anticonvulsants since it is frequently lethal without prompt treatment. cure acidosis and keep the pee flowing. It could be essential to use intubation and mechanical ventilation. Long-term mental impairments in survivors are possible.
Be aware that this plant is sometimes mistaken for another umbelliferae. Learn about this family (fennel, parsley, carrot, cow parsnip, etc.). Find the hemlocks and learn how to recognize them.
