Chapter 10

Poisonous Plants

HOW PLANTS POISON

10-1. Plants generally poison by—

• Contact. This contact with a poisonous plant causes any type of skin irritation or dermatitis.

• Ingestion. This occurs when a person eats a part of a poisonous plant.

• Absorption or inhalation. This happens when a person either absorbs the poison through the skin or inhales it into the respiratory system.

10-2. Plant poisoning ranges from minor irritation to death. A common question asked is, "How poisonous is this plant?" It is difficult to say how poisonous plants are because—

• Some plants require a large amount of contact before you notice any adverse reaction although others will cause death with only a small amount.

• Every plant will vary in the amount of toxins it contains due to different growing conditions and slight variations in subspecies.

• Every person has a different level of resistance to toxic substances.

• Some persons may be more sensitive to a particular plant.

10-3. Some common misconceptions about poisonous plants are—

• Watch the animals and eat what they eat. Most of the time this statement is true, but some animals can eat plants that are poisonous to humans.

• Boil the plant in water and any poisons will be removed. Boiling removes many poisons, but not all.

• Plants with a red color are poisonous. Some plants that are red are poisonous, but not all.

10-4. The point is there is no one rule to aid in identifying poisonous plants. You must make an effort to learn as much about them as possible.