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Community Editor

Home and Garden Editor

Andrew McCredie Layne Christensen

985-2131 (147) 985-2131 (118)

P TT Rea SO RAS EARS RTS.

Datura, also known as —

Angel's Trumpet,

Brugmansia and
Jimsonweed, has a beautiful |
15-20 cm (6-8 in.) trumpet-

- like, scented flower. One

varicty of the plant was used
in Haiti tu induce a zombie-.
like state in. Voodoo rituals.
Datura is just one of many
species that belong to the:
potato family (Solanaceae)

_ that produces a steroid alka-~

loid. Other less common
members are the deadly

,. nightshade (Atropa belladon- *

THROUGHOUT HISTORY
pecnie. have regarded poison
witia ‘both fasci mation and

‘Most people have heard the
ancient tale'‘about Socrates drink-
mg poisonous sap from the hem-.

lock plant, This was not from the »

mlock tree we know but from a:

Eurasian herb Conium ‘maculatum.

of course, not all encounters S
with” poiso: ‘ous plants are lethal. «
‘Poison ivy (Rhus radicans) isa
‘good example of a plant causing.
‘discomfort rather than death. Here
in ‘dry areas on the West Coxst we
are more likely to run into a close-
‘ly related plant called . poison oak .

Rhus diversilaba).:
Centuri S ABO, when herbal -
medic as commonplace, peo-
“pie knew more about plants and
their chemical properties. Many «.,
plants were avoided because of

‘their poisonous nature while of aie

. The common foxgloye is’a «
xample of a -medicinal plant.
tive: gredient i is ‘digitalis,

with any drug,’a small. am
be beneficial but an overdose can
be toxic, New plants are always

‘being pt ced to the market and

+ poses but the seeds in their

“na), mandrake (Mandragora:

‘officinartim) and black hen-
bane (Hyoscyaiius).

“Castor bean (Ricinus com-
munis) produces oil that can
be refined for medicinal pur-

natura] form can be very
toxic. Ricin, the refined toxic

“protein, has been used for
- assassination by spy agencies.

Not all parts of a poisonous ©
plant will have the same toxic: ..
characteristics. Rhubarb is a good
example of a plant that has edible

“, stems but has’a substance in the
leaves that is‘toxic, -

“Oxalic acid; the active ingredi-

a ent is used by some organic gar--

« deners as an effective insecticide.

: With most plants, one has to eat a.
. portion of the leaf, flower, root or

seed to ingest the poisonous com-

“ pound.”

-Howeve f, “there are plants sutch

“as the stinging nettle that you only

have to brush against to be affected:
by! the poison. |
Some gardeners also have aller-

~gic reactions to certain plants that ”

“they handle. ‘Burning pien’s can
“also Felease toxic chemicals, as ..

“cannabis users knows", os.) -

:.»'The greatest concern most peo-

ple have. with poisonous plants is
“the danger. to small children who
“are inclined to put everything into

heir: mouths. Very young children ~
will probably fi rst come into con-

SMELT d

tact with toxic plants i inside the.
home. When there are. small chil

. dren in the house, it might be /.
-advisable to identify and check on
the toxicity of the plants or place‘:

them on a stand or shelf out of

“Sheir reach. Cleaning up the dead“

leaves and rernoving any berries or
ced-pods also reduces the poten-

“tial for problems. - whos, -
If ail poisonous plants were .

“.femoyed from the home and g gar

den there.would be some very’:

~ large gaps. In general, poisonous

‘plants have created ‘very few prob-

lems over the years." |. . J
According to officials at the

- B.C. Poison Control Centre, there’

have been few Known deaths and ‘-
very few. reported cases. of serious
illness attributed to toxic Plant
material.

Listed below are some of the.

more common poisonous plants’ ,.-’

* around the home and garden. It is’

., Rot meant to-be a complete list.

HOME: ‘amaryllis, daffodil,
“hyacinth; caladium, dieffenbachia,

: crown of thoms, ivy, lantana,

-thubarb (leaves), poison oak, cas-

. Friday, December 18 1995 - North Shore News -17

/ aa

philodendron: “pothos and

Christmas cherry (Jerusalem cher-. :

ry). “
GARDEN: monkshood, horse:

chestnut (seed), autumn crocus, #

lily-of-the-valley, daphne, fox-
glove, euonymus, jaburnum (seed), ;

tor bean, deadly nightshade, yew: -
and wisteria a (seed). Ste

information or call the :

Control Centre at 682-5050 (emer- ; .°
ey gency) or 682-2344 if you havea
. question that, needs immediate -
“attention.

~ with Poisonous plants .
~ NESS, good maintenance and SUpET-

“THE RHUBARB plant (above) is c one of many ‘polsoncus plants ‘that iat grow on’ the North Shore.
the. stems of the plant are Sate to gat, the leaves: contain a toxic poison.

B.C.. Poison’

“The best policy: when déaling
ig.aware-

 SRASONTS :
GREBTINGS
PO BLL. OUR |
‘CUSTOMERS

WROUGHT iRON
» FLOOR & TAGE LAMPS
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: verdi green finish
© 22°W x 24" Kg

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SALE;

a)

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~ “comer of Hastings & Nanaimo

“tum right at Hastings -