SAS Urban Survival Handbook (48 page)

1▶ Bluebell
(Wild hyacinth/Harebell)
Endymion non-scriptus (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
Native to Europe, in woods and shady places, and an ornamental. Bulbous, with narrow mid-green leaves and violet-blue flowers. Height: 25-30 cm (10-12 in).
Poisonous bulbs and seeds.

2▶ Hyacinth
Hyacinthus orientalis
Native to Eastern Europe and western Asia, and widely grown as a garden ornamental and house-plant. Bulbous, with upright, strap-like, mid-green leaves and spires of waxy-flowers in a wide colour range. Height: 20-25 cm (8-10 in).
Poisonous bulbs and fruits.

3▶ Tiger lily
Lilium tigrinum
Native to China, Korea and Japan, an ornamental and a houseplant. Bulbous, with upright stems bearing orange-red flowers. Height: 90-150 cm (35-59 in).
Both the bulbs and fruit are poisonous.

4▶ Wild daffodil
(Lent lily)
Narcissus pseudonarcissus
Native to Europe and a very common garden ornamental. Bulbous, with long strap-like leaves and lemon-yellow trumpet-like flowers. Height: 20-30 cm (8-12 in).
Poisonous bulbs and fruits.

5▶ Star of Bethlehem
(Nap-at-noon/Summer snowflake)
Ornithogalum umbellatum
Native to Europe and North Africa, naturalized in eastern US and a very common ornamental. Bulbous, with stout stems bearing white flowers. Height: 30 cm (12 in).
The fruits are poisonous.

6▶ Solomon’s Seal
(David’s harp)
Polygonatum x hybridum
Extremely common ornamental. Herbaceous perennial, with mid-green stem-clasping leaves and arching stems bearing white flowers. Later, red or bluish-black berries appear. Height: 60-100 cm (24-39 in).
Poisonous berries.

7▶ Tulip
Tulipa
genus. Native to Europe and extremely common as an ornamental and house-plant. Bulbous, with flowers in many colours at the tops of stiff upright stems. Height: 25-38 cm (10-15 in).
Poisonous fruits and bulbs.

8▶ False hellebore
(White hellebore/Itchweed)
Veratrum viride
Native to the US and an ornamental. Rhizomatous-rooted herbaceous perennial with basal and stem-clasping mid-green leaves. It also bears branching sprays of yellow-green flowers. Height: 1.5-2.1 m (5-7 ft).
Poisonous rhizomes and fruits. May be FATAL.

FLAX FAMILY
Linaceae

Poisons that act on the brain, causing hallucinations, delirium, thirst and dryness in the mouth.

9▶ Common flax
(Linseed)
Linum usitatissimum
Native to southwest Asia, naturalized in many countries and an ornamental. Annual, with narrow leaves and pale-blue flowers. Height: 50-60 cm (20-24 in).
All parts are poisonous.

REMEMBER

If you suspect that you or someone else has been poisoned by a plant, seek urgent medical assistance. Do NOT wait to see if the problem ‘gets better’. If possible, take along a sample of the plant believed to have caused the poisoning.

Use gloves to place the sample in a plastic bag. Don’t restrict the sample to a few leaves. If there are flowers or berries, take those along as well. This will enable the plant to be IDENTIFIED quickly. Make a note of
where
the plant was found—this may help speed up its identification.

LOGANIA FAMILY
Loganaceae

Poisons that act on the central nervous system, causing spasms, spasmodic swallowing and death.

1▶ Carolina jasmine
(Evening trumpet flower)
Gelsemium sempervirens
Native to the US and Central America, and an ornamental. Twining shrub with glossy lance-shaped leaves and fragrant bright-yellow flowers. Height: 1.8-2.4 m (6-8 ft).
All parts are poisonous. May be FATAL.

2▶ Strychnine
(Nux-vomica tree)
Strychnos nux-vomica
Native to southern Asia and widely grown commercially. Evergreen tree. Berries produce seeds yielding the drug
nux vomica
(from which the poison strychnine is prepared). Height: 6-12 m (20-39 ft).
Poisonous seeds. May be FATAL.

MOONSEED FAMILY
Menispermaceae
Poisons that act on the brain, causing problems with vision, delirium, dilated pupils, thirst and dryness of the mouth. May also cause paralysis.

3▶ Moonseed
(Yellow parilla)
Menispermum canadense
Native to the eastern US and eastern Asia, grown commercially and an ornamental. Rhizomatous, with woody twining stems and white or yellowish flowers. Height: 1.8-3.6 m (6-12 ft).
Poisonous seeds.
The dried rhizomes are used for medicinal purposes.

MYRTLE FAMILY
Myrtaceae

Irritant poisons, causing burning pains in the throat and stomach, thirst, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and shock.

4▶ Paperbark Tree
(Punk tree/Swamp tree)
Melaleuca quinquenervia
Native to eastern Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia. Large evergreen tree with white peeling bark and white flowers. Height: 4.5-7.5 m (15-25 ft).
All parts are poisonous.

FOUR O’CLOCK FAMILY
Nyctaginaceae
Irritant poisons, causing burning pains in the throat and stomach, thirst, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and shock.

5▶ Four o’clock plant
(Marvel of Peru/ Beauty of the night)
Mirabilis jalapa
Native to tropical America and an ornamental. Herbaceous perennial with fragrant flowers in many colours.

Height: 45-60 cm (18-24 in).
Poisonous seeds and roots.

OLIVE FAMILY
Oleaceae

Toxic effects as the myrtle family.
6▶ Winter-flowering jasmine
Jasminum nudiflorum
Native to China and a very common ornamental. Deciduous wall shrub with bright-yellow winter flowers. Height: 1.8-3 m (6-10 ft).
All parts are poisonous.

7▶Privet
(Californian privet)
Ligustrum ovalifolium
Native to Japan and extremely common as an ornamental, especially for hedges. Evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves and cream flowers. Height: 1.5-2.1 m (5-7 ft).
All parts are poisonous.

WOOD SORREL FAMILY
Oxalidaceae

Toxic effects as the myrtle family.

8▶Pink oxalis
Oxalis articulata
Native to eastern South America and naturalized in many countries. Fleshy perennial with bright-pink flowers. Height: 5-10 cm (2-4 in).
Poisonous leaves.

EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY
Onagraceae
Toxic effects as the myrtle family.
9▶Enchanter’s nightshade
Circaea lutetiana
Native to Europe, western Asia and North Africa. Herbaceous perennial with white flowers. Height: 45-60 cm (18-24 in).
All parts poisonous.

PAEONY FAMILY
Paeoniaceae

Toxic effects as the myrtle family.

10▶Paeony
(Peony/Chinese paeony)
Paeonia lactiflora
Native to Siberia and Mongolia and a very common ornamental. Herbaceous perennial bearing white flowers. Height: 60 cm (24 in).
All parts are poisonous.

PALM FAMILY
Palmae

Toxic effects as the myrtle family.

11▶Burmese fishtail palm
(Clustered fishtail palm)
Caryota mitis
Native to wide area, from Burma to the Malay Peninsula, Java and the Philippine Islands. Palm-like, with fishtail leaves. Height: 3.6-12 m (12-39 ft).
Poisonous fruits and sap.

POPPY FAMILY
Papaveraceae

Narcotics that act on the brain, causing giddiness, dimness of sight, contracted pupils, headache, noises in the ears and drowsiness passing into insensibility. May cause DEATH.

1▶Opium poppy
Papaver somniferum
Native to southeastern Europe and western Asia, grown commercially and an ornamental. Annual with deeply-lobed leaves, white, pink, red or purple flowers. Height: 60-75 cm (24-30 in). Unripe fruits produce a milky sap from which opium is derived.
May be FATAL.
Other poppies also poisonous.

POLYGONUM FAMILY
Polygonaceae

Irritant poisons, causing burning pains in the throat and stomach, thirst, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and shock.

2▶
Rhubarb
Rheum rhoponticum
Native to Bulgaria and widely cultivated for its edible stems. Herbaceous perennial with long stems that bear large leaves. Height: 45-90 cm (18-36 in).
Leaves are poisonous, stems may be too if eaten raw.

POKE FAMILY
Phytolaccaceae

Irritant poisons, causing burning pains in the throat and stomach, thirst, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and shock.

3▶Pokeweed
(Red-ink plant/Pigeon berry)
Phytolacca americana
Native of the eastern US, and widely grown as a garden ornamental. Herbaceous perennial with green leaves. It bears white flowers and purple berries containing crimson juice. Height: up to 2.4 m (8 ft).
All parts are poisonous.

PRIMULA FAMILY
Primulaceae

Irritant poisons, causing burning pains in the throat and stomach, thirst, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and shock. Other plants may cause rashes when touched, especially primulas.