Page 32 - (DK) Danger! Open with Extreme Caution!
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POISONOUS PLANTS
Step inside our little shop of horrors. While vegetation helps to
sustain life on Earth, there are flowers, trees, shrubs, and even
hedges out there that can kill. Some are dangerous to touch,
while others are toxic if swallowed or inhaled. Nasty reactions
range from irritation to death. Why are some plants poisonous?
It’s simply their defense against being eaten. The stories
of these green meanies will have you rooted to the spot.
Nightshade 1
Manchineel tree 3 Also known as belladonna or the devil’s
cherry, the leaves and berries of this plant
This resembles an apple tree, but
the fruit are nicknamed “apples contain atropine—a deadly chemical
of death.” Eating the fruit causes compound. A snack-size portion of berries
causes slurred speech, blurred vision,
blistering in the mouth and throat,
and can be fatal. The tree leaks a milky horrible headaches, breathing problems, and
white sap that can blister the skin, while convulsions. That’s not berry nice.
smoke from a burning tree causes
blindness. This is one bad apple tree.
Castor bean 3
These brutal beans contain the deadliest plant
poison on Earth: ricin. Just a handful of beans
contain enough of this poison to kill an adult within
a few minutes. Even harvesting the plant can give
a person nerve damage. Do not serve baked.
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(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.

