Beauty can be defying….and at times even DECEIVING….Yes….Because the most beautiful flowers which we find so very captivating are all on the list of poisonous plants….daffodils,buttercups and mistletoe are few examples of these pretty devils who can deceive us with their looks….Practically these plants are so beautiful because many of them are carnivorous and have evolved this way so that they can CHEAT little insects like honey bees who fall in for the good looks thinking that these deadly flowers are full of nectar!!!!
So here’s a list of 10 deadliest plants in the world that I won’t dare touch…Forget about eating them!!!!
10. Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium)
Jimson Weed
Don’t go for it’s good looks….This plant cause hallucinations enough to drive anyone mad….Known as “ANGEL’S TRUMPET” because of its trumpet shaped flowers…. the only problem is that it is not at all ANGELIC….It is more commonly known as “Devil’s Weed” because it causes delusions, hallucinations, convulsions and perhaps death….
In 1676, when a group of British soldiers made themselves a salad out of the stuff….They survived, but according to one account, spent 11 days consumed by hallucinations and delusions before sobering up with no memory of their 17th-century-style psychedelic trip….I had say that making a salad out of jimson weed is not a good idea at all!!!!
9.Yew (genus Taxus)
Yew
This is plant that can neither be hated nor be trusted….This plant is favorite option for hedges and landscaping….But the berries which look absolutely delicious were always believed to be poisonous…but now it has been proved that it is other way around…Actually the berries are the only edible part of this plant….
The seeds and foliage are highly toxic, containing copious amounts of poisonous substances known as taxanes. Death comes suddenly and can involve convulsions, muscle tremors, difficulty breathing and heart failure…..But taxanes are in way good….because some are ave proved to be highly successful in Chemotherapy!!!
8.Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
Venus Flytrap
We have heard about this plant many times when we were in school….Well there is no connection between this plant and planet Venus nor it can be said to be ladylike (Remember women are from Venus)….Ya trap it is…But not for humans….It’s big time trap for unassuming insects that just walk into its flaps….Once inside the insect is trapped and the plant oozes out enzymes that completely digests the insects….
7. Sundews (Drosera family)
Sundew
Sundews….the name sounds so alluring….But these plants aren’t so…..luring insects with sweet, mucous-like excretions….once a insect who gets tempted enough to go near this plant and get entangled in this mess….it usually dies from suffocation….The plant then takes it upon itself to digest its prey and absorb the gooey, digested insect stew…..
Thank God!!!….Sundews and Venus flytrap are not big enough for humans….But still I won’t prefer going near these very gooey plant cannibals!!!!
6.Hemlock (Conium maculatum)
Hemlock
When I first saw these flowers I was like “Oh Wooowwww!!!!”…..Now if you wondering why these cute little flowers are called HEMLOCK….Let me explain….These are plants which were responsible for the death of Socrates….Back in his day, a hemlock cocktail was the preferred method of execution….
Conium maculatum, aka hemlock, poison hemlock or devil’s porridge….owes its poisonous bite to coniine, a neurotoxin that causes paralysis of the muscles, including the ones you need to breathe. Eventually, victims suffocate and die of lack of oxygen……So the next time you smell Hemlock….it means RUN!!!!
5. Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna)
Deadly Nightshade
Not just the name but even the plant is deadly…..Don’t fall for its pretty flowers and equally delicious looking berries (which are sweet in taste)….it can cause delirium, hallucinations and eventually, death….
Only good thing about this plant is that….This plant is also the source of the drug atropine, which is commonly used on heart attack patients and less commonly used on victims of nerve gas….So being bad is not that bad actually!!!
4. Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Oleander
I really hate this….One more good looking plant that is so dangerous….This plant distinctly looks like Periwinkle….But is no where close to it (because Periwinkle is used for chemotherapy)….But this plant is very toxic….even a leaf can kill a child….
The toxins in oleander cause a whole range of severely unpleasant symptoms, including nausea, diarrhea, blurred vision, dizziness, disorientation, seeing halos, low blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat and, of course, death….
3. Strychnine tree (Strychnos nux-vomica)
Strychnine tree (Strychnos nux-vomica)
Strychnine is famous for killing Rats….Yes….Well,I can see that smile….But if you planing to grow this plant anywhere near your home …..Give up the idea right away…. The seeds of the Strychnos nux-vomica tree, native to Southeast Asia, are the primary source of strychnine, which may be best known as a poison but was once used as a medicine (for its stimulant properties)….
Strychnine can cause severe convulsions that can eventually lead to death from exhaustion….I guess this reason is enough to steer away from this plant….You can leave the rats alive….unless you don’t want to kill yourself in bargain!!!
2. Nepenthes truncata
Nepenthes truncata
Well this is most dangerous variety of Pitcher plants….This plant is big enough to trap and digest a mouse. How does it do it? With a large pitcher-shaped pocket that is the perfect size for a mouse to just fall into…. At the bottom of the pitcher sits a bath of digestive enzymes….
I don’t know if this plant is toxic or not….But farmers and city dwellers who are absolutely fed up with the turmoil caused by these pesky rodents could try a “Nepenthes Trap“!!!!
1. Castor Plant (Ricinus communis)
Castor Plant (Ricinus communis)
This was where I got the shock of my life….I had never imagined that I’ll find THIS plant on this list…..Because I have grown up using Castor oil every time I had Tooth ache…..As few as four seeds could kill an adult, and it might only take one to poison a child….It is in fact be the most poisonous plant in the world….
Ricin is a poison found in the seed coat and throughout the castor plant….. The same seed that gives you castor oil could kill you…. Castor oil itself does not contain ricin, which separates out during the extraction process…..This plant causes intense abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea and ends with severe dehydration, low blood pressure and death…..
The list is complete…..But there may be many other plants which can be so very alluring….So please the next time you come across plants that make you almost lose your breath with their good looks…..Take a moment and think…..Beware….It may be curse in disguise!!!!!
