#freak of nature557

[arscynic]

Aaaaaand I'm back! Did ya miss me? Admit it, you missed me! Ok, you're probably waiting for me to get the theatrics over with, so I won't take too long. Anyway, today we have Conium maculatum, also called Hemlock!

Which you probably know about because Socrates used it for his execution. Because of *ahem* rich cultural background, it also has many nicknames, such as woomlick, beaver poison, poison parsley, bunk, hever, caise, devil’s flower, gypsy flower, break-your-mother’s-heart, lady’s lace, scabby hands, and others. Please note that you don't confuse this with Queen Anne's Lace, a common gardener's choice and completely harmless. You can tell the difference because hemlock is striped or dotted purple on the lower half of the stem and if you crush a leaf, it smells like rank and kinda gross. It has quite an interesting botanical name, linguistically speaking. Conium, derived from the deadly toxin coniine found throughout the plant, is from the Greek word konas, meaning intoxicated or whirl, which are symptoms of the poison. Hemlock is native to West Asia, Europe, and North Africa, but has since spread to North America, Australia, and New Zealand.

It often grows near surface waters, such as streams and ditches, as well as on waste areas, on roadsides, and on the edges of cultivated fields. In some places, it is considered invasive. Btw, hemlock, the poisonous shrub, is NOT related to hemlock tree, member of the pine family, which isn't poisonous, it's just called that because they smell similar when crushed.

Hemlock contains conhydrine, N-methylconine, but its most poisonous alkaloid is coniine, which has a chemical structure similar to nicotine. This poison disrupts the central nervous system—a small dose can cause respiratory collapse. In practice, it eventually stops your ability to breathe, causing you to suffocate. This won’t happen right off, and drinking its tea only makes you feel drunk at first. It may take from 48 to 72 hours for the full toxic effects to manifest.

According to Christian mythology, the hemlock plant became poisonous after growing on the hillside of Jesus’ crucifixion. When his blood touched the plant, it turned forever toxic.

Ooh! ooh! Fun fact- Hemlock is in the same family as carrots!

[arscynic]

This week's Jimsonweed, one of my favourites! It's also called Datura stramonium, devil's trumpet, devil's snare, thorn-apple, and many other quite flattering names. Surprise surprise, it's also in the nightshade family, including mandrake, belladonna, hemlock, tobacco and tomatoes ( yes, tomatoes). Respiratory depression, arrhythmias, fever, delirium, hallucinations, psychosis, death are just a few side effects when taken internally.(Such a cheerful bunch, aren't they?) As aforementioned, all poisonous plants have medicinal properties, and Jimsonweed are no exception. Despite serious safety concerns, jimson weed is used to treat asthma, cough, influenza, swine flu, and nerve diseases. And because people can be crazy, it's also sometimes used as a recreational drug, to induce hallucinations and euphoria. As for where they are from....It's hard to tell because it's an aggressively invasive weed and is found almost all over the world, but it's origins can be traced to central America.

[arscynic]

Ayahuasca, also known as Banisteriopsis caapi, is an Amazonian vine that contains a chemical known as DMT, or Dimethyltryptamine, a psychedelic compound belonging to the tryptamine group. It's an alkaloid substance that occurs naturally in many plants and animals including humans that is found near the neurotransmitter regions of the brain. Ayahuasca means "vine of the soul" or "vine of the dead". The name comes from the Quechua language of the Amazonian tribes, which used the plant for centuries in both religious ceremonies and medicine. When brewed, the bark produced a bitter tea that shamans believed allowed one to visit the spirits of the departed, gain otherworldly knowledge and gather insights unnatainable through ordinary sensory perception. Please do not drink the tea, all you will get are long-lasting and far reaching hallucinations and a bad hangover, if that was not obvious from the fact that this is in a blog about DANGEROUS PLANTS. Anyhoo, Ayahuasca grows as a thick woody stem and a twisting ropy wine in the Amazon basin of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil, clinging to trees and attempting to find pockets of sunlight through the dense foliage. Today, it has created a booming tourism industry, for rich people looking to get drunk, which is definitely the best idea in the middle of a rainforest.

Now, there's something I'd like to ask of you guys. It would mean a lot to me if you guys just sorta message me after a few days to remind me to stick to this blog, since I have been advised by my therapist to indulge in my positive hobbies. In return, Imma write a SICK post about the presence of hallucinogens in plants. Or maybe poisonous birds. I dunno. Anyway, SEE YA!

[arscynic]

This may be a little random, but it's 3 am and I just had an entire conversation with myself consisting entirely of puns, and I thought I'd share it with you guys.

"How do you kill someone with organic food?

You use it as a carrotte"

"Don't you think a good option would be a lett-noose?"

"I don't know, why not plain old cu-murder, with ch-ives?"

"Or you could pumpkin them full of food, causing internal haemorrhage."

"Or you could strangle them the ol' Turkish style, with broccoli-ade"

"Why not just bean them over the head with a cauliflower?"

"Or beetroot them until they cry like they have onions in their eyes"

"Maybe celery them into slavery?"

"Ugh, just artichoke them"

"Man, this conversation was so rad-ish"

"Don't you think it was a little gory-ander?"

[arscynic]

The rosary pea aka Abrus precatorius, also known as crab's eye, jequirity bean, or jumbie bead, is a perennial climbing vine whose small pretty seeds are surprisingly deadly: they contain a toxic protein (called toxalbumins) called abrin that is so poisonous, a single seed can kill you within 36 hours. Actually, the entire plant is toxic, but the seeds especially so,which are known for being woven into bracelets and necklaces.

Someone who swallows a significant amount of abrin would develop vomiting and diarrhea that may become bloody. Severe dehydration may result, followed by low blood pressure. Other signs or symptoms may include hallucinations, seizures, and blood in the urine. Within several days, the person’s liver, spleen, and kidneys will stop working, and the person dies. However, the detoxified rosary peas exert stimulatory and strengthening actions on nerves. Because of this, it is used to treat paralysis and other similar conditions; However, it can be used as a sedative when used in high dosage.

Abrus precatorius can identified by its growth near disturbed areas such as roadsides. It may also have small bright red seeds with a black spot. There are also some subspecies of Abrus precatorius that have white seeds with a black spot or black seeds with a white spot that are equally deadly.

[arscynic]

Aaand now it's Aconitum napella aka aconite aka wolf's bane, leopard's bane, women's bane, mouse bane, devil's helmet, queen of poisons, and blue rocket. It's mostly known for its effects on the heart and nervous system. As little as 1 gram of raw aconite (raw because it will have higher content of aconitine) kills within 2 to 6 hours. Common symptoms of aconite poisoning include stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, a burning sensation in your mouth, difficulty breathing and an irregular heartbeat. Some people also report a sensation that feels like ants crawling over your body.

[arscynic]

Name's Oleander. Nerium Oleander. It contains several toxic elements, including cardiac glycosides, saponins, digitoxigenin, oleandrin, oleondroside, nerioside and other unknown toxins that even mankind hasn't found yet. Yes, that's how poisonous it is. These poisons are found in all parts of the oleander plant and are toxic whether the plant parts are dried or green. As little as 4 grams of is lethal. Interestingly, red flowered varieties are observed to be more poisonous than others, and is toxic even when dried. The root and stem is the most poisonous part. Despite the very obvious danger, oleander seeds and leaves are used for medicine. Oleander is used for heart conditions, asthma, epilepsy, cancer, leprosy, malaria, ringworm, indigestion.

[arscynic]

This is the peyote cactus. Cute, isn't it?

And, like all small, cute things, (I'm looking at you, short people) it's also quite dangerous. It contains a chemical called mescaline, which causes hallucinations. It doesn't sound like much, but it's banned in USA for a reason, since there have been more than a few cases of homicidal, psychotic and suicidal tendencies, courtesy of good old peyote. It also causes dizziness, drooling, drowsiness, nausea, paranoia, anxiety, fear and emotional instability. It also increases heart rate, blood pressure and respiration rate, leading to its use as a stimulant. Despite being banned in USA, it is used by Native Americans.

Oops, almost forgot. It's also called *deep breath* Devil's Root, Dumpling Cactus, Lophophora williamsii, Magic Mushrooms, Mescal Buttons, Mescaline, Pellote, Peyotl and Sacred Mushroom.

[arscynic]

The poisonous plant for this week is.....Cerbera odollam! It's a tree native to South India, especially regions around Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Every part of it is poisonous and it's also called suicide tree, pong-pong (it means smelly), mintolla and othollam. It bears a fruit called othalanga, which is so poisonous that it's downright famous there for its use in suicide and murder. So much that it makes up for 10 percent of the poisoning cases there and up to 50 percent of the plant poisoning cases in Kerala, mostly due to the fact that despite being so common, many people don't know about its properties. Even with its deadly reputation among natives, it is sometimes used as a laxative.

[arscynic]

Today's.....Manchineel! Dun..dun..dun....

Anyway, Manchineel aka Hippomane mancinella aka 'The little apple of death' is native to the Floridian Everglades but has been introduced to many other areas. As to why I have no idea, since the plant itself is sooo poisonous that just standing under the tree during storms can cause rashes and blisters (no kidding!)The fruit is toxic, and the sap from the leaves and stems is too, due to its phorbol content. If touched, the irritants found in manchineel sap can produce inflammation and painful blisters on the skin. Even the smoke produced from burning the wood injures the eyes. It's not all grey though. As the principles of Ayurvedic medicine state, "There is no plant on earth, that, in fair doses, cannot be a lifesaving medicine, or, in unfair doses, be the deadliest venom'. As such, native people have used Manchineel as medicine, gum made from the bark can reportedly treat edema, and dried fruits have even been used as diuretics. And for some reason, the fruit (one of the most toxic parts) is reported to taste delicious, like a ripe plum, making it attractive to small children.

[arscynic]

Ricinus communis or castor oil plant, ( I know what you're thinking- no nicknames? 😱) is infamous for its use in the attempted assasination of Bill Clinton, and the fact that it was considered as a biochemical weapon in World War 1 (the idea was dropped due to over sensitivity and no known cure). It's toxic properties have been known ever since the plant was used as food, however, it was only in 1888, that its use as a war weapon became possible, due to the efforts of Peter Hermann Stillmark. It's method of killing can be described as morbidly fascinating. It affects certain cells and disables it's ability to produce proteins, killing it. Since it only kills certain cells, it is sometimes used as an anti cancer. There is no known cure. However, the only poisonous part of the plant are the inner parts of the seeds, which contain ricin, a deadly chemical.

[arscynic]

Foxglove, though it may look pretty, has a secret dark side. All parts of of it can trigger allergic reactions, even the stem, which has minute needle like crystals which, if imbedded, can irritate the skin.

The most poisonous parts are the berries, which are at their most poisonous just before ripening. It's not all black though. Foxglove is also used to create a prescription drug called digoxin, used to treat heart failure.

[arscynic]

Remember the mandrake plant in Harry potter? It's actually a real plant!The Mandrake plant, whose best-known species is the Mandragora officinarum, has long been used in ancient times as a narcotic and an aphrodisiac. Which was a bit risky, since ingesting the mandrake root can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and even choking. A large enough amount can easily be fatal. It can be identified by its unique root structure which is split at the bottom, making it look like legs and purple flowers

[arscynic]

Hi! Freak-of-nature557 here. I've been told by multiple relatives to do something with my life and stop wasting my potential, so I'm starting my first blog on Tumblr related to...drumroll please.....poisonous plants! Or just poison in general. Scroll on!

[arscynic]

Sorry! I had one of those bursts of productivity and decided to give my blog a new look and change my username from freak-of-nature557 to a-dabbler-in-poisons. Sorry if that confused you guys who are reading my blog *cue cricket noises* Stay safe!! Do let me know if you like it!