nice article. madhuri
--- On Thu, 1/1/09, J.M. Garg <[email protected]> wrote: > From: J.M. Garg <[email protected]> > Subject: [indiantreepix:6974] Re: some poisonous plants of India > To: "Anand Kumar Bhatt" <[email protected]> > Cc: "Indian Tree Pix" <[email protected]> > Date: Thursday, January 1, 2009, 7:27 PM > What a wonderful presentation, Anand ji. > > 2009/1/1 Anand Kumar Bhatt <[email protected]> > > > I have writtten a short article on Poisonous Plants Of > India. Hope you like > > it. I am attaching some photographs as well, in this > and next mail. > > akbhatt > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > *Some Poisonous Plants of India* > > > > > > > > During childhood days, one heard stories about sadhus > who were in the habit > > of taking dhatura seeds which were considered > poisonous. One also read about > > vishkanyas in ficion and about poison arrows in fact > and fiction. The story > > about vishkanyas is fascinating, and so is that of > poisons in which arrow > > darts were slaked, both in the tribal societies and > among more civilized > > people. But let us first take something more in our > vicinity: poisonous > > plants. There are several species which are poisonous > or injurious to human > > body in some way or the other. And you can find them > in your garden or > > planted by the Forest department as a roadside tree > with or without the > > knowledge about their effects on human body system. > > > > > > > > Poisoning can be by contact (causing skin irritation), > ingestion (causing > > internal poisoning), absorption (by the skin) and > inhalation (in the > > respiratory system). > > > > Some surfing on the net told me startling facts. Some > plants which we > > consider harmless are actually not so. And many which > are used in some > > way or the other in medicines (especially in > homeopathic pharmacology), in > > raw from are certainly not so benign. > > > > > > > > > > > > Let us start with Bakain, which is a sister to our > famous neem tree, known > > in English as chinaberry or scientifically as Melia > azedarach. (Neem is > > Azadirachta indica). All pats of Bakain tree are > dangerous if eaten. Leaves > > are used as insect repellents in stored grains and > we arre suitably > > warned that when those cereals are eaten, care should > be taken to remove all > > Bakain leaves from it. This tree can be often found > in our country > > either on the roadside, or in large gardens, and one > should be aware of its > > deathly qualities. Although its fruit is poison to > humans, birds gorge on > > it, and reach a level of 'intoxication'. > > > > > > > > Oleander (Nerium oleander) Is another garden plant and > all parts of the > > plant are poisonous. Its wood if used to cook food > can poison it by the > > fumes. This bush has attractive flowers: pink, yellow > or white (tubular) or > > double pink flowers. One can find it all over the > country. My first posting > > was as Sub-divisional Officer in Jashpur, a large > subdivision of Raigarh > > district and connected by rail to the district > headquarters 213 kms. away. > > It was a small erstwhile state, with majority of > tribals in the area, and > > therefore not having richness which could give it the > opulence of Jaipur, > > Indore or Gwalior. Well, duiring the state time there > was an English Diwan > > who had planted double pink oleander all through the > road from Jashpur to > > Raigarh in his area. It was the border of Kasabel > development block. There > > is another plant called Pangi (pangium edule) found in > South East Asia where > > all parts of the plant are poisonous especially the > fruit. > > > > > > > > In Castor oil plant (Ricinus communis), all parts of > the plant are > > poisonous to eat. > > > > The next is Lantana (Lantana camara) where all parts > are poisonous if > > eaten and can be fatal.It can also create dermatitis > in some. > > > > > > > > Renghis or rengas tree or marking nut (Gluta) causes > dermatitis similar to > > poison ivy and poison oak (discussed later). > > > > > > > > Lantana, castor oil plant, oleander and marking nut > tree are endemic to > > India. > > > > The other plant worth mentioning in this regard is > Rosary pea (Abrus > > precatorious) which is a vine, and has beautiful black > and red seeds. It > > is most dangerous and one seed is enough to kill an > adult. This is found in > > India sporadically. It is known as ghumchi or ratti. > Its seeds are > > surprisingly unvarying in weight and were used by > goldsmiths in our country > > to weigh gold. One seed was equal to one ratti. One > tola is 11.66 gm. 1 Tola > > is 12 Masha, and 1 Masha is 8 ratti. So one ratti is > about 120mg. Whereas > > one carat is 200 mg.In Hindu gemology, especially > related to astrology, > > ratti and carat are considered and treated almost > synonymously. I vaguely > > remember that in my nana's village, he had planted > a lot of henna tres along > > the boundary of his homestead, and one of them had > this creeper whose seed > > pods dried and opened showing the red and black gems > inside. I also remember > > that as a child of 3-4 years I climbed the bush (not > much of mountaineering > > I assure!) and plucked those seeds. But nobody told me > then or later about > > its toxic properties, for obvious reasons if anybody > knew. > > > > > > > > Another plant I could mention is Strychnine tree (Nux > Vomica). Berries > > contain the seed which yield strychnine. Al parts of > the plant are > > poisonous, This is a native of tropics and non-tropics > of South East > > Asia and Australia. > > > > > > > > Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) and poison oak > (Toxicodendron > > diversibba) cause serious contact dermatitis. Poison > sumac (Toxicodendron > > vemix) has similar effect. All parts of the plant can > cause serious > > dermatitis at all times of the year. This plant is > native to wet, acid > > swamps of North America. > > > > > > > > Renglas tree or the marking nut (which was used by our > washermen to mark > > the clothes wih distinctive mark of the owner so that > their clothes are not > > mixed up. lt has flowers similar to poison oak and > poison ivy and causes > > dermatitis. This plant is native to India, and East > and South-east Asia. > > > > > > > > Trumpet vine (campsis radicans) causes dermatitis. It > is found throughout > > eastern and central North America in wet woods and > thickets. > > > > > > > > Once I went on short course to Nainital, a nice and > cosy hill station in > > Uttarakhand. The blanket in the guest house there gave > a strong dermatitis, > > with itching sensation and urge to scratch for 30-40 > seconds, in the calf > > region. Any kind of dermatitis is not something to be > talked about, and so I > > kept mum thinking that in a few days when I went back > to Delhi, I would > > consult a physician. At the end of the course, when we > were going by bus to > > Delhi, one fellow participant very coolly announced > that now he was going to > > scratch, and he did. Later I came to know that about > half a dozen trainees > > were thus afflicted which resulted from the room boys > sunning the blankets > > on the lawn. Why I mention this is that only those who > have had this can > > appreciate how violent the itching sensation can > become in some kinds of > > dermatitis. I don't remember now, but I think the > Nainital itching subsided > > after a few days on its own. Or may be I used calamine > on the advice of the > > physician. Althoough I haven't done it ever (I was > considered a studious > > type) but in stories one heard of leaves which was > put on teacher's chair > > folloed by the violent reaction. > > > > > > > > I cannot resist the temptation of mentioning a few of > more deadly plants. > > Death camas or death lily (Zigedenus species )has > onion-like plant, but it > > does not have onion smell. All parts of the plant are > very pisonous. It is a > > native of US (North and East), and American Western > subarctic. > > > > > > > > Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) is native to Eurasia > and is extrememly > > poisonous. Easy to confuse with carrot or > Queen's lace. At another place > > the writer has said that that it can be mistaken for > fennel, wild carrot or > > parsley, The habitat is swamp, streambank and wet > meadow. > > > > > > > > Water hemlock (Cicuta maculata) is also a deadly > poison. Small amount may > > cause death. This is again a native of US and Canada > and grows in swamps,wet > > meadows,stream banks and ditches. > > > > > > > > In Cowage (Mucuna pruritum) contact with pods and > flowers causes irritation > > and blindness if it is in the eyes. All parts of the > plant are poisonous > > if eaten, and can be fatal. > > > > > > > > The Manchineel (Hippomane mancinella) is extremely > toxic. It can cause > > serious dermatitis even after ½ hour. It is a native > of Florida and > > Caribbean. > > > > > > > > Physic nut (Jatropha curcas) has yellow apple-sized > seeds which are > > violently purgative. All parts of the plant are > poisonous. This is found > > throughout the tropics and south USA.This Jatropha is > looks like the same > > species that is being developed as a bio-fuel. > > > > > > > > Among some other popular Indian plants, the famous > Raat ki Rani(cestrum > > nocturnum) is poisonous, ncluding its white berry. > Dhatura (Dhatura > > metel)contains highly toxic alkaloids, the main being > scopolamine. This > > hallucinogen is present in highest concentration in > leaves and seeds. Often > > it is mixed with food articles for robbing innocent > passengers. This plant > > and its intoxicant properties have been known in India > since prehistoric > > times. Shiva is associated with its flower and seeds. > Madar or kanak > > (calotropis gigantean and C. procera) is considered by > many to be poisonous, > > however its milky juice, flowers, rootbark and leaves > are used in medicine. > > It also attracts butterflies, and I don't think > that it has poisonous > > qualities. The flowers are of two colours: purple and > white. White is rarer, > > and its roots are used to carve icons of Ganesh. > > > > > > > > You saw above how some poisonous plants resemble > plants that are used by > > men for eating and otherwise, and so one has to be > very particular in > > choosing what to eat if the plant is not known to him. > Good old days when > > I had some land in a village and my father used to > stay there, I remember > > that with a minor millet there used to be some > poisonous grass which was > > impossible to separate from the grain plant whether in > the beginning or at > > the time of harvesting. So sometimes when the person > ate that poison grain > > along with that the cooked real grain, he used to > sleep and sleep. He > > could get up only in the late afternoon. This was a > known phenomenon and > > nobody bothered if somebody was thus affected. There > is another pulse > > closely resembling tuar which is known as Khesari, and > if it is eaten in > > the form of a loaf made out of its flour, it brings an > affliction known as > > lathyrism with twisted swollen knees. This low grade > pulse is used, > > hopefully not extensively, to adulterate tuar. > Argemone seeed has been > > used to adulterate mustard oil because of its close > resemblance to the > > mustard seed. There was a havoc in Delhi a few years > ago because of such > > adulteration. The use of such adulterated oil in > cooking brings lethal > > dropsy. > > > > . > > > > > > > > We live in dangerous times and dangerous world. > Dangerous times as the > > world has become smaller and any plant seed can land > up anywhere. See the > > nuisance parthenium (gajar ghas which some people > jokingly called > > congress grass!) has created when it came with > Mexican wheat seeds (its > > flower causes skin irritation). Moreover, it has > become a weed. > > > > > > > > I think I have revealed enough to make you worried at > least for the night > > for you and your family. Next time we shall deal with > something more > > fictional and less nearer to you (vishkanyas and arrow > poisons!). Good > > night. > > > > -- > > Anand Kumar Bhatt > > A-59, B.S.F.Colony, Airport Road > > Gwalior. 474 005. > > Tele: 0751-247 2233. Mobile 0 94253 09780. > > > > > > > > > > -- > With regards, > J.M.Garg > "We often ignore the beauty around us" > Creating Awareness about Indian Flora & Fauna: > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1 > For learning about our trees & plants, please visit/ > join Google e-group > (Indiantreepix) > http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix?hl=en > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "indiantreepix" group. 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