SAS Urban Survival Handbook (50 page)

1▶Indian strawberry
(Mock strawberry)
Duchesnea indica
Native to India, naturalized in North America and an ornamental, used in hanging baskets and as ground cover. Perennial with runners and bearing yellow flowers and red fruits. Height: 3-4.5 m (10-15 ft). Poisonous fruits.

RUE FAMILY
Rutaceae

Poisons causing vertigo, vomiting, abdominal pains, confused vision, convulsions, delirium and paralysis and affecting the heart.

2▶Rue
(Herb of grace)
Ruta graveolens
Native to southern Europe and very common as a culinary herb and an ornamental. Evergreen shrub with blue-green leaves and sulphur-yellow flowers. Height: 60-90 cm (24-35 in).
All parts are poisonous in large quantities.

SOAPBERRY FAMILY
Sapindaceae

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

3▶Akee
Blighia sapida
Native to West Africa, naturalized in tropical and sub-tropical regions and grown commercially. Evergreen tree with small greenish-white flowers followed by fruits. Height: 9-12 m (30-39 ft).
Poisonous seeds. Fruits especially dangerous when underripe and over-ripe, or when arils are discoloured.

SAXIFRAGE FAMILY
Saxifragaceae

Toxic effects as the soapberry family.

4▶Hydrangea
(French hydrangea/Hortensia)
Hydrangea macrophylla
Native to China and Japan, an ornamental and a houseplant. Deciduous shrub with large flowerheads. Height: 120- 180 cm (47-71 in).
All parts are poisonous.

FIGWORT FAMILY
Scrophulariaceae

Poisons causing numbness, tingling in the mouth, abdominal pains, vertigo, vomiting, purging, delirium and paralysis and affecting the heart. May cause DEATH.

5▶Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea
Native to western Europe, cultivated for the preparation of heart medicines, and an ornamental. Biennial or perennial with tall spires of bell-like, flowers. Height: 60-150 cm (24-60 in).
All parts are poisonous. May be FATAL.

NIGHTSHADE FAMILY
Solanaceae

Poisons that act on the brain, causing distortion of vision, delirium, dilated pupils, thirst, dryness in the mouth, and paralysis. May cause DEATH.
6▶Deadly nightshade
(Dwale/Belladonna)
Atropa belladona
Native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia to Iran, in scrubland, woods and rocky places. Perennial with pointed oval leaves, purple or greenish flowers and glossy black berries. Height: 60-150 cm (24-60 in).
All parts are poisonous. For children, half a berry can be FATAL. 7▶Thorn apple
(Stramonium/Jimsonweed)
Datura stramonium
Native to temperate regions and the sub-tropical northern hemisphere, on waste and cultivated land. Annual with jagged-toothed, oval leaves and trumpet-shaped white flowers followed by spiny fruits. Height: 90-100 cm (35-39 in).
All parts poisonous, especially fruits and seeds. DEADLY—many child fatalities. 8▶Henbane
(Black henbane/Stinking nightshade)
Hyoscyamus niger
Native to temperate Asia and naturalized in the US. Frequently found on sandy wasteground. Annual or biennial with jagged-edged, stem-clasping leaves and bell-shaped, creamy-yellow flowers. Height: 60-75 cm (24-30 in).
All parts are poisonous, especially leaves and seeds. May be
FATAL.

9▶Tobacco plant
(Jasmine tobacco/Flowering tobacco)
Nicotiana alata
Native to South America and a very common ornamental. Perennial with oblong leaves and white, tubular flowers. Height: 60-90 cm (24-35 in).
All parts are poisonous.

10▶Cape gooseberry
(Chinese lantern/ Japanese lantern)
Physalis franchetii (P. alkekengi franchetii)
Native to southeastern USSR and China, and a very common ornamental. Herbaceous perennial with stiff stems bearing white flowers, followed by colourful lanterns that enclose orange fruits. Height: 45-60 cm (18-24 in).
All parts poisonous.

1▶Potato
Solanum tuberosum
Native to the Andes and widely grown as a food plant. Herbaceous perennial, with stems bearing white or bluish flowers, followed by yellowish or green fruits and subsequently by edible tubers. Height: 30-60 cm (12-24 in).
Leaves, green potatoes and sprouting shoots are poisonous and can be FATAL Potatoes should never be eaten raw.

2▶Woody nightshade
(Bittersweet)
Solanum dulcamara
Native to Europe, Asia and North Africa, in hedges, woods and on wasteland. A scrambling, sometimes prostrate, perennial woody climber with bright-purple flowers. It also bears berries, first green, then yellow, later red. Height: 100-180 cm (39-71 in).
All parts are poisonous, especially the berries. Can be
FATAL.

3▶Black nightshade
(Poisonberry)
Solanum nigrum
Native to many regions and, effectively, worldwide. A weed of cultivated and wasteland. Sprawling and erect annual with white flowers and poisonous berries, first green then black. Height: 45-60 cm (18-24 in).
Poisonous berries. May be FATAL.

4▶Red pepper
(Ornamental chilli)
Capsicum annum
Native to the tropics, and a very common ornamental and houseplant. Shrubby shortlived perennial with white-to-greenish-white flowers, followed by red, yellow or green fruits. Height: 45-60 cm (18-24 in).
All parts are poisonous.

5▶Trumpet flower
(Goldcup/Cup-of-gold)
Solandro nitida
Native to Mexico, a common tropical ornamental, also common in greenhouses and as a houseplant. Climbing shrub with yellow and purple flowers followed by fleshy berries. Height: 1.8-4.5 m (6-15 ft).
All parts are poisonous.

6▶Willow-leaved jessamine
Cestrum parqui
Native to Chile, an ornamental and a houseplant. Bushy, deciduous shrub with fragrant, greenish-yellow flowers. Height: 90-120 cm (35-47 in).
All parts are poisonous.

7▶Tomato
(Love apple)
Lycopersicum esculentum
Native to Andean South America and widely grown as a food plant. Perennial or annual grown for its succulent fruits. Height: 1.2-1.8 m (4-6 ft).
Poisonous stems and leaves. Raw fruits are poisonous when green.
Harmless when cooked, or ripened to orange or red.

YEW FAMILY
Taxaceae

Irritant poisons that act on the nervous system, causing abdominal pains, vomiting, purging, dilated pupils, headaches, spasms, convulsions and coma. May cause DEATH.

8▶Yew
(English yew)
Taxus baccata
Native to Europe and a very common ornamental. Evergreen conifer with dense dark-green foliage and fleshy, red, cup-shaped fruits. Height: up to 18 m (60 ft).
All parts are poisonous. Usually FATAL Survival after poisoning is rare.

DAPHNE FAMILY
Thymelaeaceae

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

9▶Mezereon
(Mezereum/February mezereum)
Daphne mezereum
Native to Europe, Anatolia and Siberia, and a very common ornamental. Deciduous shrub with clusters of pale purple-pink to violet-red flowers on bare stems, followed by scarlet berries. Height: 90-150 cm (35-59 in).
All parts are poisonous, especially the bark and berries. Can be FATAL.
Wood laurel (
D. laureola
) is also poisonous.

VERBENA FAMILY
Verbenaceae

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

1▶Mangrove
Avicennia s
pecies Native to the coastal regions of the Old and New World tropics, and Australia. Tropical tree. Height: 3-7.5 m (10-25 ft).
Poisonous sap.

2▶Lantana
(Yellow sage)
Lantana camara
Native to the West Indies, naturalized throughout the tropics, a very common tropical ornamental and a houseplant. Evergreen shrub with domed flower heads in a wide colour range, followed by black fruits. Height: 45-100 cm (18-39 in).
Dangerously poisonous fruits.

UMBELLATE FAMILY
Umbelliferae

Poisons that cause vertigo, vomiting, abdominal pains, confused vision, delirium and paralysis and affect the heart. May cause DEATH.