According to foreign media reports, most plants contain toxins to some extent for self-defense, after all, plants' weakness is their inability to move around. After countless trials and errors, animals and humans have largely learned which plants are safe, which are poisonous, and which fall in between. For example, most grain plants contain a toxin called lectin; cassava must be thoroughly soaked and cooked before consumption to remove its cyanide toxin; even ordinary lima beans contain small amounts of cyanide; the seeds of cherries, potatoes, peaches, and apples are also toxic, and the consequences of eating too many by accident can be severe. Fortunately, through artificial selection and proper cooking, these toxins can be completely removed from the daily diet. However, what is surprising is that there are still some plants with deadly poison right beside us, even on the dining table.
1. Castor Bean
Many people were forced to take castor oil as children, which, despite its unpleasant taste, is healthy and beneficial. What is surprising is that castor beans contain one of the most potent plant toxins on Earth. Theoretically, just a single small castor bean is enough to kill an adult in minutes. Castor oil is safe and non-toxic (though not delicious) because the deadly toxin in castor beans, ricin, has been removed from it. Unexpectedly, castor is widely planted as an ornamental plant, especially in California.
2. Rosary Pea
As a member of the bean family, the toxicity of the rosary pea is not widely known. Its name gives a sweet and innocent impression, but in reality, it is one of the most dangerous plants on Earth. The seeds of the rosary pea contain a specific lectin called abrin, which can cause death in a very short time if accidentally ingested and chewed. The rosary pea is red with a black spot, making its appearance very easy to recognize (like an upside-down black widow spider). Abrin is one of the most deadly toxins on Earth, as it can destroy the activity of ribosomes. The initial reactions include nausea, fever, vomiting, salivation, and a series of symptoms of dysfunction, followed by nervous excitement, swelling, convulsions, kidney failure, retinal hemorrhage, and widespread damage to internal organs.
3. Monkshood
Its toxicity is also not widely known, although its nickname "Wolf's Bane" clearly indicates its potent toxicity. The origin of this name is that farmers once used it to eliminate wolf packs (it's worth mentioning that poultry were also affected and did not escape). Obviously, monkshood is highly lethal to most animals: besides "Wolf's Bane," its other nicknames include "Leopard's Bane," "Blue Rocket," and "Devil's Helmet." Botanically, it is one of the 250 branches of the Aconitum genus and was one of the most widely used tools for controlling wolf packs.
4. Bushman's Poison
This name is very fitting, as it became famous for being used by the Khoisan people of South Africa as poison on arrow tips. Although its flowers are brightly colored, its fruit is plum-shaped and delicious, its milky sap is highly toxic. However, its leaves have medicinal value, and it is also known as "beautiful尖药木" (beautiful pointed medicine wood).
5. Angel's Trumpet
What could be more beautiful than the sound of an angel's trumpet? In fact, the pain it brings is endless. Angel's Trumpet is related to petunias, tomatoes, and potatoes, belonging to the Datura genus. It is a powerful hallucinogen, but due to its extreme toxicity, it cannot be used for recreational purposes. According to its Wikipedia entry, "Its active ingredients include atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine, which can cause mental confusion or inhibit the physiological effects of the sympathetic nervous system. Patients who overdose out of ignorance should be sent to the hospital, and there have even been fatal cases." It is also called Jimson weed, stinkweed, locoweed, or devil's trumpet. Once, an 18-year-old boy living alone drank some "Angel's Trumpet" tea out of curiosity and almost died. According to his uncle's recollection, a friend broke down the door at the time and found him convulsing on the bathroom floor. He was later diagnosed as being in a hallucinogenic state after taking the drug.
6. Water Hemlock
It is widely known that Socrates died from hemlock, but the toxicity of water hemlock is equally deadly. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, water hemlock or poison hemlock is "the most toxic plant in North America." Its flowers and stems are non-toxic, but its slender stems are full of a juice called cicutoxin, and even a small accidental ingestion can induce severe convulsions, leading to rapid death.
7. English Yew
Also known as "the poison fruit yew," it is one of the most toxic tree species on Earth. It is an evergreen tree with a magnificent, spreading canopy and is a common species in European forests. It is considered by scientists to be one of the oldest conifers, after the Chilean monkey puzzle tree and the Asian Ginkgo biloba tree. Except for its fruit, every part of the yew is highly toxic. Because its toxins can cause convulsions and paralysis, it was once used as an abortifacient. When preparing the medicine, its stems and leaves were dried, crushed into powder, and before other contraceptive measures appeared, doctors would have women eager to abort take a small amount to achieve the effect of miscarriage. Unfortunately, the slightest error could lead to death. Historically, when highly diluted, it was widely used for various medical purposes. The main toxin of the yew is taxine, which has a sedative effect on the heart, acts quickly, and has no antidote.
8. White Snakeroot
White snakeroot is extremely dangerous for livestock such as cattle and sheep. When cattle and sheep unwittingly eat the white flowers and stems of white snakeroot, their milk and bones become filled with tremetol. Once humans consume animal products containing this toxin, they will develop milk sickness (tremetol poisoning). In fact, Abraham Lincoln's mother died from tremetol poisoning.
9. Strychnine Tree
According to legend, the ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra, to test the best method for committing suicide with strychnine, first forced her servants to eat the fruit seeds of the strychnine tree, which contain enough strychnine to kill a person. After witnessing the immense pain they endured, including abdominal pain, vomiting, facial contortions, and convulsions, she ultimately chose what appeared to be a less painful method: the bite of an asp. (In fact, "asp" in ancient language referred to many species of highly venomous snakes, and experts believe Cleopatra most likely died from cobra venom.)
10. Moonseed
This plant also has a pleasant name but is deadly toxic. The drupe seeds of this plant from northeastern North America are highly toxic to humans, although birds can eat them without any harm. Initially, it causes numbness and convulsions, and if a large amount is ingested and not treated in time, the consequences can be fatal.
11. Daphne
This plant is also known as "laurel daphne" and is a popular ornamental shrub in Europe. It produces berries, is evergreen, and its leaves and stems are smooth and attractive, with a charming fragrance, but all parts are highly toxic. Ingesting its leaves or its red or yellow fruit will first induce severe vomiting, followed by internal bleeding, coma, and ultimately death. The branches and leaves of daphne are rich in mezerein.
12. Daffodil
For humans, the daffodil is quite toxic, with the Narcissus pseudonarcissus (yellow daffodil) being the most potent. The poet's daffodil is said to be more toxic than the yellow daffodil, but both have toxic, bulbous roots, while their flowers and stems are non-toxic. The most famous case occurred in Toulouse, France, in the early 20th century, when the bulbs were mistaken for onions and eaten. According to Botanical.com, "Due to its strong toxicity, Socrates called it 'the crown of the underworld.' When the extract of the daffodil bulb is injected into an open wound, it has a stunning paralyzing effect on the entire nervous system and can lead to cardiac arrest." However, some physicians still believe that daffodil bulbs can treat baldness and serve as a potent aphrodisiac. (Do not try this at home).
13. Oleander
The oleander is one of the most toxic plants in the world, as well as one of the most popular table decorations. Just a single leaf can kill an adult, and even minimal contact with its young shoots, flowers, or berries can be fatal. Oleander contains multiple toxins, including neriosid