pics of poison or dangerous plants

[Pritch]

Dont have the pictures as its still too early here but poison sumac looks pretty much like staghorn sumac except the fruits are white instead of red and the tops of the plant arent as staggered--i.e--staghorn looks like the antlers on a deer. Staghorn or red sumac fruits make a nice lemonade like beverage by steeping the fruit in cold water for a couple of hours and straining through cheesecloth or a coffee filter and sweetening with honey or sugar. High in vitamin C.--Keith

HA! I KNEW that Bear Grylls was posting here under a false identity. You have given yourself away sir by referring to te "vit-a-min" C content of Staghorn sumac! Did you read that in the hotel guest information pamphlet?!

(Frigging Brits! It's the 21st Century and they're still obsessed with scurvey!)



J/K Keith. That's good information (if I knew what Staghorn or red sumac looked like!)

-- FLIX

 

[Mack]

She Who Must Be Obeyed says she has never seen the red on poison oak. Is it generally red/yellow/green or generally green and shiny.
I've heard "leaves of three" must be avoided. True or False.
I've heard generally shiny and also red must be avoided.
I'm aware that this could go on forever but if it teaches those of us that wish to know, is that a bad thing?
Any knowledge is appreciated as well as pics.

 

[Return of the J.D.]

I've heard "leaves of three" must be avoided. True or False.

Well, the "leaves of three" is ONE thing to look for in poison ivy/oak. Won't help you with poison sumac. Also, you'll find edible beans with the three-leaflet leaf form--for example:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Orga...1/Tepary-The-Bean-that-Laughs-at-Drought.aspx

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_index&enlarge=0000+0000+0504+0635

 

[DOC-CANADA]

I've heard "leaves of three" must be avoided. True or False.

Hey protourist,
(By the way, does that mean you're in favour of tourists or that you are a professional tourist?)

As Return of the JD points out, technically it should be leaflets, not leaves. The leaf of Poison Ivy is a compound leaf consisting of 3 leaflets. I'm not trying to be a nit picker, but you said you wanted to learn, so..... "Leaflets of three, leave them be. Berries white, shun the sight". (Poison Ivy has white berries).

FLIX: (if I knew what Staghorn or red sumac looked like!)

Well, just for you, Mr. FLIX, I squeezed in a quickee ......... hike, that is, right after work. Didn't take a tripod, so you'll have to ignore the quality of the pictures. This is Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina).

Kind of an overview of the shrub. They usually have some crooked looking trunks. The wood inside is kind of a neat orangey colour. It can be used for friction fire, but is not one of the better choices, as Kevin (k estela) noticed in CT.

A rather poor picture of last year's berry cluster.

A close-up of one of the stems, that give it that staghorn reference.


And as far as you picking on poor Mr kvaughan (AKA Bear Grylls), here it is also known as the 'Indian Lemonade tree' because of its tart taste (and its Vit. C content? ) - I believe it's because of the malic acid (?) in the berries. You can also use the berries as a trail nibble and you can taste the tartness. A little hairy, though. If you try this for a beverage, avoid gathering the berries after a rain because a lot of the tartness will be washed out. Also, it should be strained to remove the hairs, bugs, etc.

Doc

 

[Pritch]

Thanks Doc. I take it later in the spring it will leaf out?

-- FLIX

 

[Mack]

I drive a truck so I consider myself a professional tourist. Now that I own my own truck and business I'm not sure of the pro stuff. Pro's get paid.

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Thanks Doc. I take it later in the spring it will leaf out? -- FLIX

Yessir. Check here and you can get a good idea.

Thanks for clearing that up, protourist.

Doc

 

[kvaughn]

Doc--Thanx for the picture--KV

 

[the possum]

I don't have time to look up pictures right now, so maybe someone else will chime in with 'em, but off the top of my head, here's a list of poisonous plants that we deal with more in agriculture.

Black Nightshade
Creeping/Clammy ground cherry
Jimsonweed
Snake root
Spotted Water Hemlock
Poison Hemlock

I've read that Poison Hemlock is about the deadliest flowering plant on earth. A handful of leaves are enough to kill a child. So, I suppose someone should mention it- It grows all over the freakin' place around here in big patches.

 

[headroom]

Mmmmmmm...Poison Ivy.

Makes me itchy all over just thinking about it...

 

[ejes]

Mmmmmmm...Poison Ivy.

Makes me itchy all over just thinking about it...

I take the chance on that variety.

 

[Return of the J.D.]

I don't have time to look up pictures right now, so maybe someone else will chime in with 'em, but off the top of my head, here's a list of poisonous plants that we deal with more in agriculture.

Black Nightshade
Creeping/Clammy ground cherry
Jimsonweed
Snake root
Spotted Water Hemlock
Poison Hemlock

I've read that Poison Hemlock is about the deadliest flowering plant on earth. A handful of leaves are enough to kill a child. So, I suppose someone should mention it- It grows all over the freakin' place around here in big patches.

One thing about the hemlocks--I think both the water variety (Cicuta maculata, I think) and the poison-hemlock kind (Conium maculatum) is (I've heard) that their poisons don't necessarily cause vomiting as readily as do other poisons. So, you're likelier just to die. Now, the person I think I heard this from was a botanist, not a toxicologist, so she might or might not know what she was talking about.

 

[Mack]

Thanks for all the great pics and advice.
I hope this thread continues throughout the spring and we keep taking pictures of them.
You guys are really a great source of info and a lot of fun. Thanks again.
Mack
Beware the Candiru!

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Went for a short hike today. Weather was beautiful. Found another poisonous plant coming up. Thought I'd add it to the thread.

Common Buttercup (Ranunculus acris). No flower yet, of course.

Doc

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Another quick hike on Monday and another poisonous plant to add to the collection.

This is Jack-in-the-Pulpit, possibly Arisaema triphyllum although, apparently, there is some disagreement in botany circles about how the species should be designated IIRC.

Another colourful common name is Dragon Root, with good reason.

I'm going to quote fairly closely from Peterson's Guide to Edible Wild Plants and it says,- the thinly sliced, THOROUGHLY DRIED, corms (the enlarged, fleshy base of certain plants, like a bulb but solid, not layered. A radish would be a good example of a corm) can be eaten as is, like potato chips, or ground into a pleasant cocoa-like flour (page156). Now, if you don't hear anything else I say about Jack in the Pulpit, please hear the words, 'thoroughly dried', because if you don't, hopefully, you'll live to regret it. Let me explain.

These plants contain sharp-pointed crystals of calcium oxalate that, even though microscopic in size, can readily penetrate the tender tissue of the mouth and tongue. When this happens, intense burning occurs. More than one person has lost their life when tissue about the back of the tongue swelled up and blocked breathing from just one mouthful of the plant. Thorough drying removes this problem.

According to Euell Gibbons, a well known wild food foraging guru of the 60's and 70's, said in 'Stalking the Healthful Herbs' that he could completely dry the plant in 3 weeks, but it took up to 5 months for the peppery quality to completely disappear. He also says that dry heat will work, but that boiling does not. He says that anybody that maintains that boiling will work, hasn't tried it.

As always, the final responsibility for determining the suitability of using any wild plant as a food or medicine is YOURS! In other words, you try it, you get sick, it's your fault!!!!!

An interesting use of Jack in the Pulpit was as a fish poison by California natives.

Ain't Nature amazing?!!

Doc

 

[the possum]

One thing about the hemlocks--I think both the water variety (Cicuta maculata, I think) and the poison-hemlock kind (Conium maculatum) is (I've heard) that their poisons don't necessarily cause vomiting as readily as do other poisons. So, you're likelier just to die.

Going from memory, I recall reading that their poisons were alkaloids. (as are those in all the other plants I listed, IIRC) Like poison dart frogs... One lady wrote that her whole arm went numb from the shoulder down after just handling the plants.

Poison Hemlock should be noted not only because it's so toxic and prolific, but because its hollow stem makes it attractive for other purposes. Children have been poisoned by using the stems as blow guns/pea shooters. Don't be tempted to use it as a straw or something!

 

[Mack]

Thanks Doc, your pics and insight are great.

 

[lambertiana]

It's a good thing I checked this post out. I had always thought that poison hemlock was an eastern plant, but I googled it anyway; one of the first links to include pictures is for the Kaweah Oaks Preserve just a few miles from my house. Looking at the pictures, I recognize it as a plant that I have seen often on hikes. Now I know not to touch it.

 

[Bears Breath]

Got one of those and yes deadly, nibble on the plant in the spring and it may help to make some antibodies ...I have been told...How much you nibble ?????????? or You could go to the Dr.s office and get the perscription ...Marty kindly talk about it at the park we stayed in on the plant ID part of the weekend..Thanks Marty, I do get it and may try this...

 

[longbow50]

Here on the Central Coast of California, we get poison oak in vine form, low shrub form, single stem and in large groves that tower over my head. It mimmics other flora, like holly, that it is in contact with and it's danged difficult to get away from it around here if you're in the bush.