Cerberus is a poisonous plant. Cerberus. The perfect killer with a jasmine scent. Citadel: Jamming Technology

Ecology

It would seem that frightening can be in nature? However, some of her creations can only dream of you in a nightmare.

There are hundreds and thousands poisonous and predatory plants, which sometimes pose a mortal danger.

These plants once again remind us to be careful with what you touch and taste.

Despite their harmless appearance, meeting some of them can be unpleasant, if not fatal.

1. Cape sundew - a predatory plant

Cape sundew ( Drosera Capensis) looks quite cute with pink flowers and a pleasant smell. However, it actually refers to carnivorous plants that feed on flesh, namely insects.

Unlike other carnivorous plants such as the Venus flytrap, sundew eats its prey outdoors, wrapping it in his sticky trap and slowly dissolving it.

2. Manchine is the most dangerous tree

Mancinella ( Hippomane Mancinella) is an most dangerous tree on a planet that can kill a person.

If you just stand under this tree when it rains, you will begin to blister. The milky juice of the manchineel contains strong toxins, including phorbol, which leads to severe allergic dermatitis. If you try to burn a tree, if smoke gets into your eyes, it can lead to blindness.

In addition, the fruit of this plant can be deadly and cause symptoms. nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures. No wonder its name is translated as "little apple of death."

3. Fig tree

Although the fig tree does not pose any danger to humans, it is able to viciously take revenge on the wasps with which it has a symbiotic relationship. Wasps lay their eggs on a tree and for this they must pollinate it.

If the wasp does not comply with the tacit agreement, and lays eggs in fruits without pollinating the tree, the fig tree applies "sanctions", throwing away the fetus and killing the young wasps.

4. Chilean Puya - Sheep Eater

Wood Puya Chilensis often call " sheep eater". Although the plant itself does not eat the poor animal, it is able to trap it with its thorns. When the sheep dies and begins to decompose, it becomes food for the plant.

5. Cactus Euphorbia resinous

Euphorbia resinous ( Euphorbia Resinifera) is a small Moroccan cactus that looks quite harmless.

The real danger lies within. The fact is that the plant contains a large number of chemical resinferatoxin, which has a very pungent taste.

For comparison, on the Scoville scale, pepper spray has a hotness index of 1.5 million units, the hottest pepper in the world "Trinidad Scorpion" - 2 million units, and resiniferatoxin - 16 billion units.

If a drop of this plant gets on your tongue, you will not get by with ice alone.

6. Abrus prayer - a poisonous plant

It is unlikely that you have heard of such a plant as prayer abrus ( Abrus Precatorius), as its most notable part is the tiny bright red seeds often used in jewelry and tool making.

But it is worth knowing that these seeds are extremely dangerous, as they contain a toxin that is many times stronger than ricin.

One seed contains everything one milligram of the poisonous substance abrin, which is a lethal dose for a person. However, if you swallow an abrus seed, something is unlikely to happen to you, since it is covered with a very dense shell and therefore leaves our digestive tract almost intact.

7. Cerberus odollamskaya - poisonous "suicide tree"

Cerberus odollamskaya ( Cerbera Odollam), or as it is also called the "tree of suicides" received such a name not by chance. It grows in India and southeast Asia, and is most often used for suicide purposes due to the unique properties of its fruits. Although the fruit has a bitter taste, it can be masked by mixing with spices.

Pathologists cannot always determine Cerberus poisoning unless there is evidence that the victim ate the plant. In some Indian families, the fruits are used as an ideal murder weapon, the victims of which are women.

8. Ongaonga - very stinging nettle

Ongaonga ( Urtica Ferox) refers to a species of nettle native to New Zealand. The plant grows up to 3 meters in height, forming huge impenetrable thickets.

The leaves, as well as the branches and flowers of ongaong, are covered with many burning hairs, which reach 6 mm in length. At the slightest touch, the hairs release a toxic substance that causes an unbearable burning sensation that can last up to two days.

With extensive exposure, this can lead to rashes and multiple blisters. There were times when people died stuck in dense thickets this plant.

9. Darlingtonia California - lily-cobra

This plant ( Darlingtonia californica) are compared with the cobra, an animal known for its bloodthirstiness. Its tubular leaves are reminiscent of a rising cobra, and the leaves are poisonous teeth or the tongue of a snake. It grows in Oregon and Northern California and belongs to carnivorous plants.

The plant contains a sap that attracts insects that later find themselves inside its water lily. As soon as the insect has got inside, the steep and slippery walls do not allow it to get out, and the plant begins to produce digestive enzymes to digest the victim.

10. Hura exploding - wood-dynamite

Hura exploding ( Hura Crepitans) has a rather menacing appearance with many dark thorns covering the trunk of the tree. It was named so because its ripe fruits literally explode, releasing seeds at a speed of 67 meters per second and scattering them up to 90 meters in all directions.

If you try just one seed of this fruit, it will lead to strong stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, blurred vision, and palpitations. If you try more, it can cause delirium, convulsions and even death. Its yellow sap leads to inflammation when touched with the skin and can cause temporary blindness if it comes into contact with the eyes.

Cerberus. The Perfect Killer with jasmine scent

Cerberus (Cerbera odollam) from the kutrovye family (Apocynaceae) is a fairly common plant, whose homeland is considered to be India. However, it also grows in Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and tropical islands. Pacific Ocean. In India, Cerbera odollam is called othalanga maram (othalanga maram) or in Tamil kattu arali (kattu arali). In the east, its range is limited to French Polynesia.

The plant is a large bush or small tree, the height of which does not exceed ten meters. Cerberus grows on sandy coasts, along the banks of sea bays or rivers, it can be found almost everywhere in saline mangrove swamps.

Beautiful opposite shiny dark green leaves grow in a lush whorl on rather thin branches. The larvae of many Asian butterflies feed on Cerberus leaves.

Graceful white flowers with a reddish core smell pleasantly of jasmine.

After flowering, a green fruit is formed, resembling a small mango.

As it matures, it turns bright red.

Cerberus fruits dry right on the branches, the dried fruit-drupe has a length of 5-10 cm. When the dried fruits fall to the ground, a thin, outer film flies off, exposing a thick, fibrous, very decorative shell.

Due to this fibrous shell, the fruits of Cerberus are very light, they are easily picked up by ocean currents and carried over long distances, contributing to the spread of the plant in the region.

The fruit itself consists of two halves, each of which contains one very poisonous bone.

This plant resembles a plumeria, however, the Cerberus leaves are slightly smaller, slightly more wavy, and have a reddish midrib.

All parts of Cerbera odollam are highly toxic, however, the largest amount of the toxin is found in the seed oil.

The seed oil contains the alkaloid cerberin, which is similar in structure to digoxin, a toxin of digitalis (digitalis), as well as the glycoside cerberoside. These poisons block the passage of calcium ions in the heart muscle, which causes a gradual slowing of the heartbeat until it stops completely. Death occurs 3-4 hours after the poison enters the body.

The most active toxin is cerberin. Moreover, if it was not known about the use of Cerberus by the victims, it is practically impossible to determine the cause of cardiac arrest.

If we take into account that this, one of the most potent poisons on earth, is practically unknown to Western doctors, chemists, analysts and forensic scientists, and, moreover, cerberin decomposes very quickly without a trace in the body, and therefore is not determined when establishing the causes of death, This makes Cerberus the perfect natural killer.

IN Lately When it became possible to carry out studies using high-tech methods of chromatography and spectrometry to test plant samples, scientists suggested that the number of deaths caused by cerberin poisoning could be a much higher percentage than previously thought.

Also, a certain percentage of suicides could well be considered criminal murders.

In India, the "perfect killer" Cerberus is used quite often. Since the kernels of the stones have a bitter taste, they are usually ground up and mixed with spicy and spicy local food.

Traditionally, this tool is more often used by Indian women who cannot otherwise resolve their matrimonial or legal problems.

In some Indian states, where the birth of girls in a family is considered undesirable and almost shameful, Cerberus is used to "regulate" the birth of babies of the desired sex. A pregnant woman who has undergone an ultrasound examination, which determined that she is carrying a girl, is simply killed in a proven way for centuries. Or, already after birth, “unnecessary” girls are killed in the same way.

In the countries of Southeast Asia, Cerberus is called pong-pong, buta-buta or nyang. Its oil is successfully used as an insecticide. In Madagascar, Cerberus has long been used as a "God's court" in determining the guilt of a particularly dangerous criminal. Took poison, died - so guilty! Especially often the verdict of guilt Cerberus "carried out" in the trials of witches or conspirators against royal power. This custom has survived to this day. According to official figures, in 1991, more than six thousand Madagascarians died as a result of such a "divine judgment."

Cerbera odollam is named after the mythological Cerberus - a terrible dog guarding the gates to the realm of the dead. His saliva was so poisonous that it destroyed all living things for several meters around him. Well, the tropical plant bears its name worthily.

Not so long ago, Cerberus began to be grown in Hawaii as an ornamental plant. If you are careful, it can be quite successfully bred at home - Cerberus is very decorative.

The plant feels great in a small pot, standing on the windowsill, desk or anywhere else - beautiful foliage and graceful white flowers will adequately decorate your apartment. But, while enjoying the pleasant jasmine aroma, you should always remember that in front of you is the perfect killer from distant India. And treat him accordingly.

All plants from the family without exception kutrovye (Apocynaceae)- very beautiful. Take at least our usual periwinkle (Vinca), which can often be found in cemeteries: graceful blue petals of intricately irregular shape ... The leaves are amazingly durable and vital, retaining a fresh look even under snow - that's why the periwinkle transferred from the forest to gardens and parks has become a symbol of vitality, and planted in cemeteries - a symbol of eternal love and good memory. Like a fragrant violet, it blooms early in spring, but few people pay attention to it. According to legend, he complained about his fate to the goddess Flora, and she gave him larger flowers, and life longer than that of violets, and gave the name Pervinka to the modest spring messenger.

A special magical power has long been attributed to the unfading plant. In Austria and Germany, periwinkle wreaths were used to predict marriage; hung over the windows, they protected the house from lightning strikes. Flowers collected between the Dormition and the Nativity of the Virgin had the ability to drive away all evil spirits: they were worn on themselves or hung over front door. Wreaths of small periwinkle (it was called the "violet of the dead", as wreaths were woven from it on the graves), hung over the entrance, helped to detect the witch. The periwinkle owes all these magical properties to its amazing vitality - it lives as long as even a drop of water remains in the vase (and the other flowers of the bouquet have long since dried up), and if you take it out of the vase and stick it in the ground, it will quickly take root.

According to the website of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the genus Vinca has 5 species. In the middle zone of the Russian Federation is found lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor), christening periwinkle, burial ground, with upright flowering shoots, winter-green leaves and a light blue corolla with bluntly cut limb lobes.

The handsome periwinkle, like all members of the kutrov family, has another enviable quality - it is extremely poisonous. In the Middle Ages, in court, with the help of a periwinkle, they checked whether the accused had a connection with the devil.

Not only in the Middle Ages, but even today, kutras are widely used in legal proceedings in some countries. For example, "the perfect killer with jasmine scent" - Cerbera odollam (Cerbera odollam), common in South and Southeast Asia, as well as in Madagascar. Cerbera odollam is named after the mythological Cerberus, the terrible guardian dog of the gates to the realm of the dead. His saliva was so poisonous that it destroyed all living things for several meters around him. Well, the tropical plant bears its name worthily. All parts of Cerbera odollam are highly toxic, however, the largest amount of the toxin is found in the seed oil.

The seed oil contains the alkaloid cerberin, which is similar in structure to digoxin, a toxin of digitalis (digitalis), as well as the glycoside cerberoside. These poisons block the passage of calcium ions in the heart muscle, which causes a gradual slowing of the heartbeat until it stops completely. Death occurs 3-4 hours after the poison enters the body. You can’t even use Cerberus wood to light fires, as the smoke can cause severe poisoning.

So in Madagascar, Cerberus has long been used as a "God's court" in determining the guilt of a particularly dangerous criminal. Took poison, died - so guilty! Especially often, the verdict of guilt of the Cerberus "carried out" in the trials of witches or conspirators against the royal power. This custom has survived to this day. According to official figures, in 1991, more than six thousand inhabitants of Madagascar died as a result of such a "divine judgment."
The beautiful Cerberus often lands in parks and near hotels, and few people know that this is the perfect killer. It is not for nothing that Cerberus also has the common name suicide tree (“suicide tree”).

This is one of the most potent poisons on earth, besides, it is practically unknown to Western doctors, chemists, analysts and forensic scientists, and, to the convenience of the killers, cerberin decomposes very quickly without a trace in the body, and therefore is not determined when establishing the causes of death.
Even if we count only officially recorded deaths from Cerberus poisoning, their number is steadily growing. For the period from 1989 to 1999. this number has increased almost 10 times.

In India, the "perfect killer" is used quite often. Since the kernels of the stones have a bitter taste, they are usually ground up and mixed with spicy and spicy local food. Traditionally, this tool is more often used by Indian women, solving their matrimonial or legal problems in such a drastic way.
In some Indian states, where the birth of girls in a family is considered undesirable and almost shameful, Cerberus is used to "regulate" the birth of babies of the desired sex. A pregnant woman who has undergone an ultrasound examination, which determined that she is carrying a girl, is simply killed in a proven way for centuries. Or, already after birth, “unnecessary” girls are killed in the same way.

The beauty and majesty of kutrovye flowers is highly appreciated in ornamental gardening. In the tropics, by right, the crown of a beauty queen can be given away plumeria (Plumeria). The genus Plumeria (Plumeria L.) has 70 species of plants. The range of the genus is the tropical regions of the Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, South America, Mexico, California, and Thailand. The plumeria has gained worldwide fame for its magnificent fragrant flowers. Collected in more or less branched, short racemes at the top of the shoot, they appear on the tree in spring, along with new leaves, and often bloom throughout the summer months. Flowers of various shapes and shades (white, yellowish or purple-pink) consist of five or more petals, reach a diameter of 5-10 cm, are most fragrant in the morning.

Plumeria is the national flower of Laos and Bali, and among the Mayans it was a symbol of eroticism and lust.

The common name for plumeria is frangipani, after the Italian nobleman who created a perfume using this amazing scent. Extracts from plumeria oil are widely used in cosmetology and have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and regenerating effects on the skin, so they are great for use in night creams, as well as in products for deep skin cleansing.

Everywhere in the tropics, they are planted as a trimmed fence allamanda (Allamanda). According to the Kew Botanic Gardens website, the genus includes 15 species, all of which are highly ornamental. Many species served as a favorite decoration for greenhouses in the 18th and 19th centuries.

In decorative tropical gardening, another representative of a beautiful and poisonous family is also widely used - adenium (Adenium), a genus of shrubby or woody succulents originating from tropical regions of Africa, where it is found from Senegal to Sudan and Kenya, and the Arabian Peninsula. The bright scarlet flowers of adenium have great decorative effect, thanks to which the plant has earned its popularity. The pharynx of the flower is usually lighter. Flowers are pink, yellow, white, red-black. Simple and terry. Like all kutrovye adenium is dangerous, when cut, it releases poisonous juice, so after transplanting or propagating the plant, it is recommended to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Widely bred in our room culture. And in the south - and in open ground. It is also common in the tropics. It is already difficult to establish his homeland now. Oleander is also poisonous, so care is required when cultivating it. Many varieties of oleander have been bred, differing in habitus (including the height of adult plants - from 1.8 to 3.5 m), foliage color, and corolla color; in some varieties, the flowers are simple, in others - terry (with an increased number of petals).

In indoor floriculture, it is very beautiful and fragrant. Stephanotis (Stephanotis) or Madagascar jasmine. A little more than a dozen species of this plant are known, common in Japan, China, Madagascar and the islands of the Malay Archipelago. All stephanotis are climbing evergreens. In the flower market, they have become widespread relatively recently and, probably, therefore, are considered difficult to care for.

Growing at home Stephanotis profusely flowering(Stephanotis floribunda). Its leaves are oval, leathery, dark green. But the main advantage of this plant is beautiful white fragrant flowers-stars. In many countries they are an indispensable element in the bride's bouquet.

Tabernemontana (Tabernaemontana)- an evergreen flowering shrub. owes its complex name to the German physicist and botanist J. T. von Bergzabern, who lived in the 16th century, and called it his own name, translated into Latin. In Russian interpretation, this can literally sound like a mountain tavern or a mountain monastery.

Tevetia peruvian, or yellow oleander (Thevetia Peruviana) has graceful bright flowers, which in their shape resemble delicate bells. The seed-fruit is about the size of a chestnut. This attractive racemose shrub produces apricot-yellow flowers from spring to late fall. Two plants can sprout from one oleander seed.

Another very interesting genus from the kutrovye family is Pachypodium. Pachypodiums (Pachypodium)- succulent trees or shrubs. The main characteristic of the genus is thick trunks, in which a reserve of water is created in case of drought and unfavorable conditions for roots growing on rocks. Despite the different appearance of Pachypodium, they all have a thickened trunk. Pachypodium appearance ranges from bottle-like dwarfs to oval-shaped bottle-shaped shrubs and cactus-like trees. The second feature of Pachypodium is the presence of spikes. The spikes are grouped in pairs or triplets and arranged in rings or whorls around the trunk. The thorns appear at the same time as the leaves and grow for a short period, then their growth stops and they harden. The thorns do not regenerate, and as a result of trunk friction, all thorns, except for the youngest ones, can be erased, and old specimens may have smooth trunks and branches.

Pachypodiums grow in Madagascar and in continental Africa (Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland).

Kutrovye - a family noticeable in the tropics, has 200 genera and more than 2000 species in both hemispheres. It is one of the most specialized entomophilous (insect pollinated) families. So, the method of pollination in the periwinkle is well studied. The funnel-shaped periwinkle corolla with characteristic scales inside has a rather long tube, at the bottom of which there are two nectaries on the sides of the ovary. The stigma, extremely peculiar in shape, is provided with a platform in the form of a ring covered with sticky mucus. The filaments are S-curved so that the anthers hang over the stigma. Pollinators - long-proboscis bees and butterflies - to get to the nectar, squeeze the proboscis between the stamens and stigma. At the same time, they lubricate it with sticky mucus, so that when they move back, pollen sticks to the mucus. When visiting other flowers, pollen easily falls on their stigmas. The role of the scales in the corolla tube is to prevent unwanted visitors from entering the flowers.

As is often the case, kutrovye not only kill, but also heal. Species of the genera Acokanthera, Apocynum, Cerbera, Nerium, Thevetia and Strophantus are sources of cardiac glycosides that have cardiotonic and antiarrhythmic effects in therapeutic doses and are used to treat heart failure of various etiologies. They increase the efficiency of the myocardium, providing an economical and at the same time effective activity of the heart.

Tatyana Zakharova

Completely ignorant of tropical vegetation, when I arrived on the island, although not for the first time, I was surprised by the rather large number of mangoes growing in the complex. Four or five medium-sized trees fit perfectly into the beautiful green addition to the houses - villas. The tree is spreading and has beautiful leaves, attractive flowers and beautiful fruits.

If I had not tried to understand and study local plants, I would have thought that this was a mango. What was my surprise and misunderstanding when I saw in the atlas of the vegetation of Asia that it was Cerberus Odollam or sea mango. Probably, such low and beautiful trees are suitable for landscaping in terms of their external qualities. The tree has a beautiful crown, attractive white flowers and fruits of beautiful shape and color.
But according to the descriptions of the properties, this tree is very poisonous. Moreover, all its parts are poisonous, especially the fruits.
Sea mango seeds contain the glycoside cerberin, which causes cardiac arrest when ingested. The poison acts quickly, it is difficult to determine it in the body. Many tropical plants are poisonous. . But if plumeria juice can cause burns, then cerberus kills. It is possible that this is protection from various pests, monkeys and other enemies of plants. I, as an adult, do not "peck" on such a free fruit, but the children who are of different ages in the complex and do not always walk with their parents are unknown. After all, they can pick beautiful fruits for fun. This tree is often used by suicides, because it also has another unpleasant name - the suicide tree. Another name for this beautiful tree- a dog with three heads that guards the entrance to the heavenly hell. However, it is believed that this tree of good spirits attracts, and drives away bad ones. Apparently, therefore, such trees are grown near dwellings. And the good spirits are revered here, and the evil ones are feared. They try their best to please them.

I found a description of the poisonous properties of Cerberus fruits in the atlas of plants of Cerberus mango and, again, sea mango. This is a different kind of Cerberus. This type of Cerberus differs from Odollam only in a small detail in flowers and fruits. Cerberus odollamskaya has a middle white flower with a yellow spot. Therefore, she is also called the yellow-eyed Cerberus. In the mango-shaped cerberus, the middle of the flower with a red or pink spot is the red-eyed cerberus. Also, the fruits of the Odollam Cerberus are green in their mature form, while those of the mango-shaped are brown. But in the description there is also a line that all Cerberus are very poisonous. Some are less poisonous, others - with deadly properties of fruits.

Mango, unlike sea mangoes, is a very tall tree. This is the mango that blooms. This tree grows a few meters from our complex. It is always in sight.
Mango fruits are more elongated in shape. Mango fruits are bright yellow when ripe. But until such a state, they are not on the tree. Green, but already ripening fruits fall to the ground, especially after strong gusts of wind. Cerberus fruits are brown or green when ripe. The crown of the trees is different. In mango it is more protruding, in Cerberus it is more sprawling. The leaves are almost the same for mango and cerberus. The mango fruit has a huge bone inside.

I didn’t particularly want to study the Cerberus fruit, but I did it anyway. Cerberus fruits fall to the ground. It was not difficult to find such a fruit.
I am trying to cut the fruit in half with a sharp large knife. It didn't work out. As I expected, there is a hard bone inside. I cut off the pulp of the fruit on the sides.
The pulp is hard and looks like shavings.
Almost inside round shape bone 3.5 cm long.
The stone is not cleared of pulp, but it is felt that it is tuberculate. The bone is hard, but it has a crack on one side. Apparently, the fruit is mature and this crack will allow the sprout to appear. With a little difficulty, I cut the bone along the crack.
Inside is a soft light pulp. I don't smell it, but it's all sticky. There is probably a lot of oil that does not spare the heart in such a bone. I quickly get rid of all this mass. The mango stone differs significantly from the stone of the Odollam Cerberus.

Mango also blooms in a completely different way. Mango has inconspicuous small yellow flowers collected in a panicle.

The flowers of the Cerberus are of medium size, quite attractive in appearance.

A very interesting detail in the structure of the Cerberus flower. One part, more often the left, of all petals is elongated. The petals are not proportional in shape.

Growing such a tree is easy. Growing a sea mango is similar to growing a coconut tree. Ripe fruit burrows one third into the ground. Later, one sprout appears. The tree is unpretentious in cultivation, including room conditions on the windowsill.

That's it poisonous tree it's a sea mango. It does not cause pleasant feelings, although it is beautiful. This beauty is somehow evil and repulsive.

It is not entirely clear why the plant is called a mango tree. Although the fruits are similar at some period of ripening in appearance from the outside.

All drawings from botanical atlases used in the article are taken from www.wikipedia.com

Mankind uses herbs with its Everyday life more than 60,000 years - in 1960, a cave burial was found in Iraq, referring precisely to that distant period of time when Neanderthals lived on the territory of modern Europe and Western Asia. Eight plant species were found in this burial, seven of which are still used in modern medicine.

TO general concept"herbs" usually refers to plants and their individual parts: flowers, leaves, berries, seeds, nuts, stems, trunks, tubers and roots. They are used in cooking and are used in medicine to obtain medicinal preparations and tonics. Generations of herbal healers, and then specialist researchers, through trial and error, sometimes at the risk of their own lives, created the science of medicinal herbs and thousands of safe and effective medicines that are successfully used in traditional medicine. And about traditional medicine, ethnobotany and all sorts of shamanic tricks and it’s not necessary to say, they can’t do without herbs at all.

The great European physician of the Renaissance Paracelsus (real name Theophrastus Philippus Aureolus Bombastus von Hohenheim) at one time formulated one of the most important pharmacological rules, which has not lost its significance so far: " Everything is poison, it's all about the dosage. Quantity alone makes any substance poisonous or non-poisonous".

However, despite the indisputable correctness of this postulate, there were, are and will be especially dangerous plants in the world, a meeting with which for an unprepared person can be the last event in life .. For example, you just have to drink a cup of tea with the addition of dried oleander leaves or petals or chew any of the parts of the foxglove - and death will not keep you waiting too long ..

Paracelsus (1493-1541)

The world history of poisons and poisonings contains many pages. But our task is only a brief acquaintance with the most significant and well-known poisonous tropical plants, especially since today they are acquiring more and more new meanings, often becoming priceless medicines. Before us will appear a series of luxurious beauties and modest ugly women, fragrant and foul-smelling representatives of different countries and continents, so different, so strange, so amazing. And all of them are united by one common quality: they are all DEADLY POISONOUS.

1. Poison in tubes, poison in pots

In ancient times, the conquest - the discovery and conquest of the territories of Central and South America by Europeans - a mass of Europeans poured onto the American continent. They were warriors and missionaries, scientists and robbers, just adventurers. In search of countless treasures and gold reserves of the American Indians, their great civilization was almost completely destroyed. What they searched for so long, however, was never found. However, the real treasures that were brought from America to Europe are still used by mankind today. This is corn, and, this is a lot and a lot of plant products that we, without hesitation, use in everyday life.

But Europeans had to deal with more than just new edible plants. Some "acquaintances" were truly terrifying: deadly poisons that did not have an antidote, acting quickly and inevitably, incomprehensible substances, later called hallucinogens, causing clouding of consciousness and visions, driving you crazy and much, much more ..

One of these terrible open poison was curare.

Curare is one of the strongest poisons on earth, which is a plant extract. This poison has been widely used since ancient times by the Indian tribes of South America. Basically, it was used for hunting - they were smeared with arrowheads. However, like many poisons, curare was used not only for hunting animals. The Spanish conquistadors were the first of the white people to experience the effects of this deadly poison, with which the arrows of Indian tribes resisting their enslavement were smeared. And stories about the mysterious, terrible Indian poison evoked almost sacred awe in white people.

It is believed that curare was first brought to Europe by an Englishman, Sir Walter Reilly. (Sir Walter Raleigh, 1552 - 1618), who was not only a knight at the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England, but also famous poet, writer, traveler and discoverer of new lands. It was Reilly who founded the second (after Newfoundland) British colony on the territory of today's North Carolina (USA). However, no written evidence of curare remained after him. The very first records of this poisonous substance were made by the Spanish priest, Father d'Acuña and d'Artieda (d "Acunja e d" Artieda), during his visit to the Amazon basin in 1693, and in 1745 by the French scientist Charles Marie de la condamen (Charles Marie De la Condamine), who led a scientific expedition to Peru, not only brought samples of this terrible poison to the French Academy of Sciences, but also the technology for its manufacture, which he had learned (or rather, stolen) from the Indians.

Arrows smeared with curare poison and a blowgun,
from which they were shot by representatives of the tribe
jaguars (Peru)photo: Alison Wright

Indian tribes varied the name of the plant used as raw material for the production of this poison; he was called vurari, vurara, kurari, curare, cururu, urali, vurali, etc. In addition to the abundance of variants of the name of this plant poison, for a long time there were disagreements about which plant serves as the raw material for its manufacture. Yes, and the Indians themselves - after all, there were many tribes - they really sometimes used different kinds plants and their compositions. Only in 1938 did the American scientist Richard Gill succeed in clearly identifying the plant as a source of curare. Chondodendron tomentosum from the family menispermaceae.

However, further research made it possible to clarify that the Indians used two types of curare, dividing them both according to the symptoms of the death they caused, and according to the raw materials, and according to the methods of storing the prepared extract: in a pot or in a hollow tube - a processed stem of one of the local plants. The pots were mainly used to store poison prepared from Strychnos toxifera ( family Loganiaceae). In such a poison, the poisonous qualities inherent in all plants of the strychnine family were used. However, the most rapidly and potent poison, which had to be stored in special tubes, was made from the leaves and roots of Chondrodendron tomentosum, which grows in abundance throughout the western Amazon.

Chondrodendron tomentosum is a large vine, the stiff stem of which reaches 10 cm in diameter. It has large alternating heart-shaped 10-20 cm leaves with long pedicels. The upper surface of the leaves is smooth with pronounced veins, the reverse side of the leaf is covered with whitish hairs. Greenish-white small flowers, collected in clusters, are male and female. Juicy 1-2 mm fruits, formed on female flowers, have an oval shape, narrowed towards the base.

The classic method of preparing curare poison involves the extraction of crushed leaves, stems and roots of Chondrodendron tomentosum over low heat, sometimes with the addition of the blood of poisonous animals and reptiles (for example, poisonous frogs). The boiling mass was constantly stirred, bringing it to a thickening. The lighter poison, necessary for hunting small animals, was light, and the strongest was a dark brown or black mass of sticky or even almost solid consistency, which had a distinct resinous smell. Long spines or specially processed sticks were lubricated with this substance, which for defeat the target, with force blown out of the wind tubes. The name "curare" comes from the Native American word for poison. Making curare poison was the prerogative of the shaman of the tribe, violation of this rule was punishable by the immediate death of the offender.

The active alkaloid responsible for the toxic properties of Chondrodendron tomentosum is D-tubocurarine. This alkaloid is an agent that blocks the nerve impulses that control the muscles. Such a blockage leads to muscle paralysis: first of all, the toes and hands and eyelids stop working, then the nerve endings responsible for vision and hearing are paralyzed, then the paralysis affects the face, neck, arms and legs, and finally death occurs from respiratory paralysis. . During agony, inflammation of the liver occurs, and the skin acquires a characteristic bluish hue. In order for a deadly poison to begin its detrimental effect, it must enter the bloodstream. But if you lick your tongue, you will stay alive ..

At the same time, Indian shamans have long since learned to use the diuretic properties of curare and gave microdoses of curare to patients for medicinal purposes, easing attacks of violent insanity, and also used it for dropsy, fever, urolithiasis and - externally - in the form of compresses for severe bruises.

Strychnos toxifera, a creeper covered with rough brown bark, like many other species of strychnine, is also home to the tropical jungles of South America. It is characterized by paired leaves with very short pedicels, growing on round, pubescent branches of a rusty-brown color. The length of these leathery shiny oblong leaves reaches 7.5 cm. Strychnine flowers are white and very fragrant, after flowering a fruit is formed - a yellow berry.

Poison (curare stored in calabash pots) is obtained from the roots and stems of this particular plant. The technology of its preparation, in principle, does not differ from the preparation of curare stored in tubes, prepared from Chondrodendron tomentosum. The toxic alkaloids of Strychnos toxifera are strychnine and brucine. Strychnine inhibits the action of the enzyme cholinesterase, resulting in muscle and respiratory paralysis. Brucine causes a strong heartbeat, which soon reaches critical values, leading to complete cardiac arrest. Such symptoms are observed when toxic substances enter the blood.

Strychnos toxifera

Strychnine, obtained from seeds and taken internally, acts somewhat differently: first, it causes an increase in the secretion of gastric juice. Then, getting into the intestines, the poison is quickly absorbed and has a characteristic effect on the central nervous system, expressed in excitation of the vagus nerve, as a result of which breathing becomes deeper, and the heartbeat slows down.

This toxic effect of strychnine causes an increase in adrenaline levels, which causes stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, which, in turn, can lead to a rapid increase in blood pressure and sudden cardiac arrest. Death occurs in terrible convulsions arising from the simultaneous stimulation of the motor and sensory nodes of the spinal cord. The symptoms of death from strychnine poisoning are very similar to those of death from tetanus.

Strychnine is highly toxic. Just half a grain (1 grain = 0.0648 grams) of strychnine sulfate causes the death of an adult within 14 minutes. The chemical antidote for strychnine is an insoluble form of tannin, as well as amyl nitrite, which is injected subcutaneously to relieve convulsions and prevent respiratory arrest.

Genus strychnine (Strychnos sp.) has about 190 species of trees and vines growing throughout the tropical zone of the Earth. The most common (and poisonous) are:

Strychnos nux-vomica L or strychnine tree – evergreen tree originally from Southeast Asia, growing in open spaces. The plant has a short, curved, thick trunk with light, hard, fine-grained wood.

The strychnine tree has powerful roots, randomly growing branches are covered with a smooth bark that has an ashy hue. Young shoots of saturated green color, leaves are oblong, rather large (10 cm long and 6-7 cm wide) with a short pedicel; they are shiny and smooth on both sides. Small greenish-white flowers, very bad smell, collected in small umbrella inflorescences. The tree blooms during the coolest time of the year.

After flowering, fruits are formed the size of a large apple, covered with a smooth, hard peel; becoming ripe, the peel acquires a beautiful orange color. Inside the peel is a soft white jelly-like pulp with five seeds covered with a tree-like shell. On the inside, the shell is white. The shelled seeds have the shape of a flat disc. They are densely covered with densely appressed hairs radiating from the center of the flattened side, which gives these very hard seeds their characteristic matte sheen. The pulp and seeds are odorless, but taste very bitter.

The strychnine tree, its seeds, bark and even dried flowers are the main source of strychnine and brucine, which are currently used in homeopathy and traditional medicine.

Strychnos tieute- climbing bush growing in Java. Its juice is used by the local population as a poison for arrows. Causes death from convulsions and cardiac arrest.

Strychnos ligustrina - a tree whose bark contains brucine.

At Strychnos innocua the pulp of the fruit is safe and is eaten in Egypt and Senegal.

Strychnos Ignatii grows in the Philippines, its seeds contain strychnine and brucine even more than Nux Vomica. The tincture prepared from its pods is recognized as official medicine and is part of the British Pharmacopoeia.

Strychnos pseudo grows in the mountain forests of India. The fruit - a black berry the size of a cherry - contains one seed; both the fruit and the pit are used to cleanse and disinfect the cloudy and dirty water, for which the plant received the local name "cleansing nut". It is enough to put one crushed bone in a vessel with water, and in a minute all the turbidity will settle for days, and the water will become suitable for safe consumption. This property is provided by the protein compounds contained in the bone - albumin and casein, which act as clarifying agents. The same property of proteins is used in Europe for clarification of wines and beer.

There are real beauties among strychnine relatives. Meet it Fagraea, they also belong to the family Loganiaceae.

Fagraea fragrans And Fagraea racemosa Javanica originally from Southeast Asia - from Burma-Indonesia and Java-Borneo, respectively. This is very ornamental plants with wonderful aroma. Large flowers of Javanese fagreya, filled with sweet nectar, are very attractive to bats, which are its main pollinators. Flowers, leaves, bark and roots of the plant are actively used as medicinal raw materials for the preparation of traditional medicine preparations. In Malay, the Javanese fagreyu is called so - "Sepuleh", which means healer, healer.

motherland Fagraea berteriana And Fagraea ceilanica- Hawaiian Islands. This is one of the favorite and popular ornamental plants. Their large white-cream fragrant flowers bloom for just one day, but, blooming one after another, fill the entire space around with a delicious smell. The local name for these beautiful plants - Pua Keni Keni - means in Hawaiian "dime flower", that was the price of one flower.

All these beauties, although to a lesser extent than strychnines, are very poisonous plants.

2. Fragrant apple of death

exotic manzanilla or apple of death(from the Spanish word "manzana", meaning "apple" - a tree Hippomane mancinella belongs to the euphorbia family (Euphorbiaceae ). It is often referred to as the Tree of Death. This sprawling tree with poisonous fruits resembling small apples or huivas is quite widespread on the sandy sea coasts of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Galapagos Islands.

Attractive single or growing in pairs, yellowish-red fruits with a sweet smell, at one time claimed more than one hundred lives of Spanish conquistadors, pirates and ordinary European sailors who tried to satisfy their hunger and thirst with pleasantly smelling fruits ..

These magnificent trees with a branched crown, reaching a height of twenty meters, under the influence of strong coastal winds, can sometimes take on bizarre twisted shapes.

The leaves of the manzanilla are simple, elliptical, with pronounced yellowish veins. The death tree is considered evergreen, however, during periods of drought (December-January), it can shed most of its foliage.

With the beginning of the rainy season, inflorescences appear in the form of cobs 7 cm long, on which are located one or two small rudimentary female flowers with a diameter of about 3 mm, from the star-shaped pistils of which the ovary is formed. Male flowers, even smaller, with many yellow anthers, are located nearby, on the same inflorescence.

Flowering occurs practically throughout the year, but manzanilla blooms especially abundantly in March. Fruits - "apples" are round, about 4 cm in diameter, very fragrant, covered with a shiny grayish skin.

Inside are a few brown seeds. All parts of this plant: leaves, bark, flowers, fruits contain viscous milky juice - a characteristic feature of all euphorbia. It is very toxic and, moreover, has a strong irritating effect. Upon contact with the skin, irritation, skin burns are observed, accompanied by the appearance of blisters and inflammation. The corrosive power of manicella latex is so great that it can burn through thin cotton and other light fabrics.

Contact with the juice in the eyes causes blindness, as the eyes are practically burned out by this poisonous latex. When it enters the stomach, death occurs from its perforation - the insidious manzanilla "eats" real holes in the stomach .. Smoke from burning wood causes severe irritation of the respiratory tract.

Rain and even dew flowing from the leaves of this poisonous tree is a real danger to humans and mammals. But some reptiles calmly climb its branches and even settle down there for the night. In regions where manzanilla grows, you can often see signs warning tourists passing by not to rest under the canopy of these trees and not to touch its fruits.

Euphorbia pulcherrima,
cultivar "Winter Rose"

All representatives spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) are poisonous. However, as in every family, the degree of toxicity in different plants is also not the same. You have just met the most "malicious" and rather rare representative of euphorbia. But her relative is known and loved by many. This - Euphorbia pulcherrima , Euphorbia most beautiful or poinsettia.

Poinsettia is native to Mexico. Back in the XIV-XVI centuries, the Aztecs, who called this plant Cuetlaxochitle, used its red bracts to obtain a natural dye for fabrics, as well as used in cosmetics, and its white juice to treat fever.

Initially, it was a tall, slender bush, reaching a three-meter height. It has large, dark green oval leaves with serrated edges that radiate from soft, straight stems. During the flowering period, in winter, flowers appear at the ends of the plant. Actually, the flowers of the poinsettia are small, greenish or yellow, they are surrounded by a decorative rosette of bright bracts.

The rosette, in turn, is a modified, brightly colored in scarlet, yellow, cream, white, leaves 12-15 cm long. It is this bright star-shaped bract that makes the plant so festive and attractive.

It was difficult, if not impossible, to maintain such a shrub at home, but at present much has changed. Modern varieties poinsettia - the fruit of the work of breeders, more branchy, more decorative and much less demanding, their size does not exceed 30-45 cm, and the "flowers" bring joy with their unique appearance for two to three months.

The name poinsettia Euphorbia pulcherrima was in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett (in French pronunciation - Poinsetta), who was not only the ambassador of the United States of America in Mexico, but also an enthusiastic botanist and gardener. He accidentally wandered into the street, where he saw a beautiful bush growing by the road, covered with large red flowers.

A wonderful plant sunk into the soul of an amateur botanist and, leaving Mexico, in 1829, J.R. Poinsett cut cuttings from him, which, upon arrival home, he planted in his greenhouse. The plant has taken root. Such are the smiles of fate: the diplomat made a brilliant career, later becoming a congressman, but in human memory he will forever remain the man who introduced the United States to Euphorbia pulcherrima.

Every Christmas and New Year's Eve, flower shops fill up with this winter joy, amazing live Christmas stars in a variety of hues, as the poinsettia blooms just before Christmas. She is the real queen of decorating the festive table, making even the darkest corner lighter and warmer, pots of poinsettia cover the trunk of the Christmas tree.

Like all milkweeds, the juice of the poinsettia is poisonous. Of course, it does not have such a devastating effect on people as manzanilla, however, contact with the milky juice of your favorite Christmas plant on the skin can cause an allergic reaction, and in some cases, nausea and diarrhea are possible. Therefore, when working with poinsettia, it is best to wear thin rubber gloves.

3. Poisonous rosary

Abrus precatorius belongs to the legume family (Fabaceae ) and is a curly flexible tree-like vine. The flowers, which form dense clusters, resemble pea flowers and range in color from light purple to lavender pink.

Abrus originally grew in India, but now it and related subspecies can be found in almost the entire tropical zone. plant name abrus- from the Greek word habrus, means elegant, graceful, and the epithet "precatorius" comes from the word "precator" - praying,which is due to the fact that they made from the seeds of abrus rosary, which counted the number of prayers read.

This beautiful perennial liana with graceful leaves, divided into 8-16 delicate leaves. The handsome abrus is a very aggressive plant: during the season, the liana can grow by more than 6 meters. It wraps itself around trees and it is almost impossible to get rid of it, even hard weeding does not help.

The fruit of the abrus is a flat wide pod covered with small hairs. It contains from four to eight bright scarlet seeds with a black dot in the middle, similar to a pea, somewhat elongated. Occasionally, however, there are specimens with milky white seeds. Abrus seeds are often used to make ritual beads and rosaries. By the way, it was these items that helped the abrus to spread so actively around the world.

All parts of this plant are poisonous, but most often poisoning with abrus occurs when the seeds are chewed or even just when they are broken - if the hands are not thoroughly washed afterwards. Quite often there are cases of poisoning of babies who have milk teeth cut - they try to chew on "magic" beads hanging from the neck of their mother or grandmother.

diamond "Koh-i-nur"

Abrus seeds in India are called retti or rati, they are the weight standard for weighing precious stones - each seed weighs exactly 2.1875 grains (1 grain is equal to 0.0648 g). At one time, the weight of the famous Koh-i-nur diamond was determined precisely with the help of reti.

The poisonous substance of the plant is called abrin. It is a lectin glycoprotein that has the property of agglutinating (sticking together) red blood cells. Symptoms of abrin poisoning appear after several hours, and sometimes even days, after ingestion. They manifest as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps, impaired bowel function, followed by coma, circulatory collapse (impaired circulation due to agglutination of red blood cells) and death.

Immediately upon the appearance of symptoms of poisoning, immediate assistance should be provided - as soon as possible, give the poisoned emetic, rinse the stomach and inject saline through a dropper. Only emergency medical care can save the poisoned person from inevitable painful death. The seeds are considered the most toxic part of the abrus, with the toxin remaining in the seeds for many years.

Abrus roots contain glycyrrhizin (it is also called Indian licorice, for which it, in fact, is a substitute), it is used in Indian folk medicine in the preparation of painkillers. However, the caustic resin contained in the roots is poisonous. Tinctures and pastes made from the seeds are included in the British Pharmacopoeia; however, the medical value of abrus is small.

Krishna and Radha

In India, this plant is very often used for malicious poisoning of cattle and other domestic animals, but cases of poisoning of people are not uncommon. Attractive toys made from beautiful bright seeds are not the least of the causes of such poisoning. And yet, in very small doses, abrus seed extract is added to hair oil - it turns out an excellent remedy for fighting lice.

In another way, the Indians call the fruits of the abrus "gunya". Beads from its seeds - gunya mala - are of particular importance among representatives of the Gaudiya sect - followers of the Krishna teachings Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They are worn around the neck of children, because, in their view, the image of Krishna the child is inextricably linked with gunya mala, personifying his future beloved Radha, who wore them without taking them off.

According to legend, before the birth of Krishna, Indra, Lord of the rain, was the eldest among the gods. Krishna convinced people to stop worshiping Indra. Indra, wanting to show that he is stronger than Krishna, caused a heavy downpour that fell for many, many days.

People realized that this downpour was caused by Indra's anger. But Krishna assured the people that the downpour would not do them any harm. With a wave of his little finger, he erected Mount Govardhan, sheltering people and animals there. After that, Indra recognized the superiority of Krishna, and Krishna received the epithet Govardhandhari.

Chaitanya's followers place a small stone on their altar - a symbol of the sacred mountain Govardhan, and gunya mala beads are placed around the stone.

4. The perfect killer with jasmine scent

Cerberus (Cerbera odollam) from the kutrovy family (Apocynaceae) is a fairly common plant, whose birthplace is India. However, it also grows in Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and the tropical islands of the Pacific Ocean. In India, Cerbera odollam is called othalanga maram (othalanga maram) or in Tamil kattu arali (kattu arali). In the east, its range is limited to French Polynesia.

The plant is a large bush or small tree, the height of which does not exceed ten meters. Cerberus grows on sandy coasts, along the banks of sea bays or rivers, it can be found almost everywhere in saline mangrove swamps.

Beautiful opposite shiny dark green leaves grow in a lush whorl on rather thin branches. Cerberus leaves feed on the larvae of many Asian butterflies.

Graceful white flowers with a reddish core smell pleasantly of jasmine.

After flowering, a green fruit is formed, resembling a small mango, as it ripens, it becomes bright red.

Cerberus fruits dry right on the branches, the dried fruit-drupe has a length of 5-10 cm. When the dried fruits fall to the ground, a thin, outer film flies off, exposing a thick, fibrous, very decorative shell.

Due to this fibrous shell, the fruits of Cerberus are very light, they are easily picked up by ocean currents and carried over long distances, contributing to the spread of the plant in the region.

The fruit itself consists of two halves, each of which contains one very poisonous bone.

Yes, it's about him.
Alexander Sergeevich
wrote:

".. In the desert stunted and stingy,
On the ground, the heat of the red-hot
Anchar, like a formidable sentry,
Worth - alone in the entire universe.
The nature of the thirsty steppes
She gave birth to him on the day of wrath,

And green dead branches
And watered the roots with poison.
Poison drips through its bark,
By noon, melting from the heat,
And freezes in the evening
Thick transparent resin.."

5. Stopping the heart

For more than 200 years, this tree has been surrounded by the darkest legends and descriptions. In the 17th century, the German-Dutch naturalist Rumphius (Rumphius) wrote: “This tree grows on barren mountain slopes. All the land around him looks deserted and as if scorched; only horned vipers, croaking like chickens, whose eyes glow in the night, dwell under it.

In the 18th century, an article by the former military doctor Forsh (Foersch), who served in Java, appeared in one of the London magazines, subsequently cited by Erasmus Darwin (Erasmus Darwin) in the treatise Loves of the Plants, which tells about the same tree.

“The tree,” the doctor writes, “is so poisonous that it kills all living things at a distance of more than 15 miles around. As an alternative to immediate death penalty, its poison is mined by sentenced criminals.

They wait until the wind starts blowing away from them towards the tree, run towards it and begin to extract poison in small portions, until the wind changes again and kills them with its poisonous breath. With luck, the poor fellows can lengthen their lives by twenty such runs .. "

In 1929, the Swedish explorer of Borneo, Eric Mjoberg, writes: "Staying in the immediate vicinity of these trees is life-threatening, heaps of bones lie under them."

The poisonous tree and famous writers did not bypass their attention. Shakespeare and Byron, Charlotte Bronte and Pushkin mention him in their works.

So, the name is given: this terrible stranger is the famous Anchar! Of course, most of the scary stories are a retelling of local legends, embellished stories of travelers, and sometimes simple fiction. In fact, the tree that has such a bad reputation is quite safe. Of course, its juice has been used for many centuries to prepare poison, but people can walk quite calmly in the shade of its magnificent crown, and birds make their nests on its branches. Anchar grows in many greenhouses around the world.

So who is he really, this anchar?

Powerful evergreen tree Antiaris toxicaria , belonging to the mulberry family ( Moraceae), majestically spreads its crown, towering above the trunk, which in old trees reaches one and a half meters thick and almost 150 meters high. His homeland is South and Southeast Asia: India, Sri Lanka, South China, Philippines, Java and Fiji. The Asian name for this tree is Upas or Ipoh, derived from the Javanese word for poison. Related species Antiaris toxicaria also grow in the tropical zone of Africa. However, this mighty tree is rarely found in the dense thickets of the jungle - Anchar prefers to grow at the foot of calcareous and loamy hills.

Anchar has beautiful wood, whitish or very light brown, of medium density, silky to the touch, in a freshly cut state it emits a rather unpleasant specific smell. The trunk is noticeably thickened at the base. The tree has large ellipsoid dark green shiny leaves, and numerous male and female inflorescences are covered with rather small pink flowers. After flowering, clusters of dark, almost black fruit-berries are formed on the tree, a bit reminiscent of enlarged clusters of black currant.

Undoubtedly, antiaris is very poisonous. Initially, arrows were smeared with poison, which were fired from blowguns, using them in hunting and war. The latex of the plant contains the potent cardiac glycoside antiarin.

Anchar juice getting into open wounds or even scratches of a person or animal is extremely dangerous. The toxin causes the blood to thicken very quickly, blood vessels as if clogged with it, and then comes the paralysis of the heart.

In China, anchar is called "blood killer", the Chinese even have an ugly saying describing the poisonous properties of this tree: "seven up, eight down, nine - fell." This means that the person poisoned by the anchar has the opportunity to take only seven steps up the stairs or eight steps down, while on the ninth step the person falls dead. It sounds terrible, but the meaning makes people tremble.

According to legend, for the first time, a certain hunter named Dai took advantage of the poison of the Anchar. During the hunt, a large bear chased him, and Dai had to escape from him on a tree. But the bear, continuing the pursuit, climbed after him. Then the hunter began to break branches and throw them at the bear; he threw one of the branches so that he accidentally hit the beast in the eye. And about a miracle! The bear fell from the tree and died. It turned out that the tree on which the unlucky hunter escaped was an Anchar.

Modern chemical analysis has shown that Anchar latex consists of more than 30 rare cardiac cardenolides - the strongest poisonous alkaloids. The most important toxic agent is antiarin, which makes up about 2% of the total mass of latex. The antiarin molecule consists of two components: the sterol antiarigenin (Sterin antiarigenin), which is a poison, and the glycoside L-Rhamnose, which is a composite of sugars. The sugar component combines with the poisonous one through a very heat-sensitive oxygen bridge - a glycosidic compound. It is sugar that makes the substance of the molecule rapidly soluble in water and blood.

However, if the latex or already released poison is subjected to strong heat, for example, when cooking the meat of a poisoned animal during cooking, the glycosidic compound is destroyed, the sugar component is released and the poison loses its destructive properties.

Chemists have also noted interesting fact that the poison of antiaris is contained in the bark, wood, roots and seeds of the plant, while it is absent in the leaves, male inflorescences and fruit pulp.

The process of preparing poison for arrows begins with the fact that an incision is made in the bark of a tree with a knife, from which latex flows out, which is collected in the same way as we collect birch sap in spring. When enough flows in, it is poured into a bamboo container. Sometimes the latex is harvested directly from the young, not yet fully opened leaves of the palm tree Licuala spinosa, resembling accordion furs. These leaves are so durable and fire resistant that they can be safely placed on a burning gas burner. These qualities are one of the secrets of the preparation of the poison: latex is placed in a container made of such a sheet, folded in the form of a boat, for the subsequent, rather lengthy dehydration process.

Then a very low fire is lit and at a height of about 70 cm, a palm container with latex is hung on the peeled twigs. If it rains, the container is temporarily removed from the fire and brought into the hut. The process of dehydration requires great patience and care. To obtain an average amount of ready-made poison, it is necessary to warm it up for a week. During the cooking process, the latex first becomes dark brown, and towards the end of the process, the mass becomes more and more viscous and acquires a black color with a metallic sheen.

But, of course, the greatest attention should be paid to the temperature regime, since if a slightly stronger heating is allowed, the poisonous properties of the latex will be destroyed, and the product will acquire a sweet taste. This is well known to local hunters, therefore, in the process of cooking, they from time to time taste the mass with the tip of their tongue - immediately spitting and rinsing their mouths. Properly prepared poison should be very bitter. If the taste is sweetish, the mass is thrown out and all work begins again.

Despite all its terrible reputation, the anchar has some advantages: its bark is so thick and elastic that the local population often uses it to make rugs and clothes.

First, a piece of bark is selected right size and cut off from the tree. The bark is then softened by beating with wooden hammers while stretching it to the desired length. When the bark is completely separated from the remnants of the inner wood and has acquired the required size, it is immersed in water for a period of about a month.

After that, the bark is washed and beaten again to get rid of the remaining liquid, gluten and poison. Now the bark becomes like a white dense soft fabric from which pants and shirts are made, as well as soft and comfortable mats that do not lose their softness and elasticity for decades.

And on antiaris toxicaria- the famous Anchar himself, now tourists from all over the world come to see Asia.

6. Toxic beauties from Africa

No less than the South American poisoned arrows, the poisonous arrows and spears of the African tribes are also well known. The substance with which their tips are lubricated is so toxic that even small scratches it is enough for a large animal to die in a matter of minutes. And it is extracted from plants belonging to the family kutrovye (Apocynaceae), which grow in abundance throughout the continent. All kutrovye are distinguished by their obvious insecurity, they are all very beautiful. Some are also useful. In my own way.

The genus strophanthus has about 40 species of flowering plants. Almost all of them are native to the tropical rainforests of South Africa, although some species are also found in Asia, in the tropical region from India and the Philippines to southern China.

The name strophanthus (in Greek " strophos anthos” means “twisted rope”) due to its appearance: the flowers of these plants are characterized by very long, twisted filamentous segments of the corolla; in some species, such as Strophanthos preussii , they can reach 35-40 centimeters in length , which hang decoratively from the flowers and resemble (at least to a white person) poisonous arrows fired. In English, this plant is called: "poison arrow" - "poison arrow".

The genus strophanthus includes vines, bushes and small trees. All of them are characterized by non-serrated, elongated-oval, oppositely arranged leaves; in some species, the leaves grow in the form of a whorl.

Not being a true creeper, strophanthus weaves through the trees, not intertwined or attached with tendrils, as is typical for ordinary creepers, but use their shoots almost like arms that hug thick branches. At the ends of shiny evergreen thick leathery leaves are clusters of very decorative flowers, somewhat reminiscent of flowers of adeniums, plumeria and tabernemontan. And this is not surprising, because they are relatives, but the closest relatives of strophanthus are allamanda and oleander.

Their sepals are wide, and the corolla can be white, cream, yellowish, orange, painted in pinkish hues, sometimes with purple speckles. A tube about three centimeters high emerges from the core of the corolla, the ends of the lobes of which adorn the elongated “pendants” characteristic of these plants, painted in various colors.

The most decorative types are Strophanthos gratus or, as it is also called, climbing oleander and Strophanthus bovinii, whose flowers seem to be carved from a tropical tree.

All strophanthus are very poisonous, so the most common use of strophanthus among primitive tribes is the use of an extract from the seeds of strophanthus - the chemical substance ouabain - as the main ingredient in the poison that smears hunting arrows.

Strophanthus toxin is a group of alkaloids containing cardiac glycosides: g-strophanthin (a synonym for ouabain), k-strophanthin and e-strophanthin are the most active pacemakers, which later found wide medical use not only in the treatment of heart diseases, but were also used in the treatment of other organs and organs. body tissues.

The effect of strophanthin on the heart is somewhat similar to that which digitalis preparations have on it ( Digitalis purpurea) - violation of the heart rhythm, a decrease in the number of heartbeats up to its complete stop. However, despite the fact that all types of strophanthus contain cardiac glycosides, plants have a kind of "specialization". So, StrophanthosKombe richest in k-strophanthin, Strophanthos Emini- e-strophanthin, Strophanthos hispidus - h- strophanthin, Strophanthos gratus -g-strophanthin, which is the famous glycoside ouabain. In total, cardiac glycosides in strophanthus contain more than 10%.

Modern scientists call strophanthin preparations milk for an aging heart. These drugs are fast-acting, which distinguishes them from digitalis drugs, which act on the body much more slowly, and in fact, with heart attacks, the score often goes by minutes; another difference is the more gentle effect of drugs on peripheral blood vessels.

Stofanthin is currently a very valuable medicine that helps not only with heart diseases, it is also used to reduce high blood pressure, with anesthesia during surgical operations. Like many plants containing cardiac glycosides, strophanthus is a powerful diuretic.

Currently, strophanthus for pharmacological purposes are grown commercially.

At one time, when the Africans first learned that the British began to use their famous poison for medical purposes, they said that they always knew that white people were crazy, but they never knew that they were so crazy.

Another plant from the kutrov family is called bushman poison. Its official name - Acokanthera oppositifolia - comes from the Greek word, which means that the pollen of the flower has irritating properties; the adjective "oppositifolia" refers to the opposite arrangement of the plant's leaves.

Like all relatives of strophanthus, acocanter - climbing plant with dark green dense leaves. This is a fairly cold-resistant evergreen plant, well tolerated and scorching tropical sun, and deep shading of a humid forest. However, when given the choice, the acocanthera prefers the shady edges of tropical rainforests or dense thickets of shrubs. The plant is widely distributed throughout South Africa, except in arid regions.

Acocanther blooms in late winter or at the very beginning of spring with clusters of beautiful, pinkish, very fragrant flowers. After flowering, non-poisonous fruits are formed, similar to large black plums. They are eaten with pleasure by forest birds.

All other parts of the acocanthera are extremely poisonous, and the Bushmen make their infamous arrow poison from the latex that the branches are filled with. For medical purposes, acocanthera toxin is used to prepare medicines used for snake and spider bites, worms, and pain and chills.

7. Insidious delicacy Maori

Photos used in the chapterNew Zealand Plant Conservation Network

Corynocarpus laevigatus or Karaka from the family (Corynocarpaceae) is a rare plant endemic to New Zealand. Sometimes this tree is called the New Zealand laurel, but this name is not used very often.

Karaka is a beautiful tall tree with a rounded crown, resistant to the vagaries of the weather. It feels great on the sea coasts, blown by salty oceanic winds, which usually rarely allow trees to grow tall enough, however, their influence on karaka is minimal. She loves the sun and light partial shade, and in summer - sufficient humidity. At a young age, the plant is sensitive to cold.

Karaka grows very slowly, but every year its crown becomes more and more beautiful, in a ten-year-old tree, the shadow of the crown covers an area measuring 5 x 8 meters. The beauty karaka is widespread in the coastal forests of New Zealand. It has long been cultivated and used by the Maori - the indigenous population of this island nation.

The bark of the karaka is gray, the branches are strong with beautiful large shiny oval dark green leaves.

In early winter - from the end of May in the Southern Hemisphere - a lot of panicle inflorescences 18-20 cm long appear on the tree. Karaka flowers are small, only 4-5 mm, but fleshy; the five petals are greenish-cream, sometimes with a predominance of light yellow or almost white flowers. Pollinated by birds.

By the beginning of summer (December-January), numerous oblong fruits begin to ripen, somewhat reminiscent of olives in shape. Karaka fruits are yellow-orange drupes, they have a fibrous pulp, which is covered with a smooth, rather hard skin. The stone contains a poisonous nucleus, which in the process of decay spreads a very specific smell. Karaka is very easy to propagate by seeds.

Back in the 19th century, the Maori ate karaka fruits for food, it was one of the types of their plant diet. To collect fruits, the tribe went to the forest, where karaka trees grew, strewn with ripened fruits, knocked them down from the trees with sharp blows of a long stick, and then put them in baskets.

Large pits were dug on the nearest beach, into which the collected fruits were poured, they were buried again and a fire was made from above. After a few hours, and sometimes even the next day, the karaku was taken out of the earthen oven, put into baskets, and placed for rinsing in the water of a nearby stream or lagoon, leaving it there for a day or two. After such treatment, the pulp and skin were easily separated from the stone, which by this time was completely freed from the poison.

After soaking, the karaka was peeled and laid out on mats for drying. The ready-to-eat product was put into clean baskets and left until winter in order to be able to serve it on the festive table, treat guests with it, and also to offer it to the leaders of the tribes living on neighboring islands.

Currently, due to significant changes in Maori living conditions, as well as the danger of possible poisoning, karaka is used only as an ornamental plant that can decorate any landscape.

The karaka bone contains a deadly poison - the alkaloid karakin. Karakin causes convulsions so strong and prolonged that the limbs of a person seem to freeze bent in a wide variety of positions. The man's face turns red, his eyes bulge out of his sockets, his tongue protrudes from his mouth, and his jaws are reduced to a terrible grin. Karakin poisoning does not cause vomiting. The most painful death occurs in two or three days.

One of the travelers of the 19th century, who visited New Zealand and visited one of the Maori tribes, describes the case of poisoning a twelve-year-old boy with karaka poison that he observed:

“.. One of his legs cramped to the waist, and the other turned forward, twisted so that the heel was in front and the fingers were behind. One arm twisted behind the shoulders, and the other was twisted in an extended position forward. All his muscles were tense to the limit and motionless. The boy could not do anything: not to change the position of his body, not to drive away the mosquitoes that stuck around his naked body, not to scratch the places of their bites, not to put something in his mouth .. "

However, if the poisoning was caused by a very small dose of poison, and the victim was a small child who was easy to handle, it was sometimes possible to save the unfortunate. To do this, at the first signs of poisoning, the child was quickly placed in a hole dug on the seashore, after swaddling his arms and legs in the correct position, a piece of wood was inserted into his mouth so that he would not bite his tongue, and then buried in a standing position up to the very cheeks. . The child was left in this state until the crisis passed or until the unfortunate person died.

As already mentioned, karaka is endemic, except for New Zealand, it can only be found in large botanical gardens. However, often not true Corynocarpus laevigatus grow there, but related species from the same Corynocarpaceae family. There are 48 such species, four of which are similar in appearance to karaka, but their fruits differ from karaka fruits in color, size and shape.

Karaka can be perfectly grown in a container as houseplant, because except for the stone, the rest of the plant is non-poisonous. It is not difficult to care for her: regular, but not frequent watering throughout the year, feeding and transplanting as the roots grow. The container with karaka can stay in the garden or on the balcony until the very cold weather (-5C).

8. Order of monks of the poisonous brotherhood

Speaking of poisonous plants growing in the tropics, I would like to dwell on one of those ubiquitous representatives of the plant world, which, despite all borders and climatic zones, have spread almost almost all over the world.

The homeland of aconite is the Mediterranean. But it is not for nothing that its flowers have the shape of a monastic hood - like a modest monk, aconite adorns well-groomed European gardens and, like a true missionary, paves the way to distant lands. The plant feels great not only throughout Europe, including the subpolar regions of Scandinavia, it grows in Central Asia and the Far East, in the mountains of Tibet and Nepal and in sultry tropical India.

Aconite napellus, a member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaciae), is a herbaceous perennial about a meter high with a fleshy spindle-shaped rhizome. In a young plant, the root is pale, almost without any color, while in an adult plant, the rhizome is covered with a dark brown skin.

Aconite has dark green, shiny, dissected palm-shaped leaves, and bright blue flowers seem to be planted on an upright tall stem. The shape of the flower is an ideal landing site for receiving guests - bees and bumblebees, collecting nectar, and at the same time pollinating aconite.

The sepals of aconite are purple - it is noted that this color is especially attractive to bees - and have a bizarre shape resembling a monastic hood. Two petals are whimsical nectaries shaped like a hammer. Multiple stamens are at first tightly pressed to the throat of the flower, but at the height of flowering they straighten up, exposing the anthers to the most convenient position for showering pollen on arriving insects. By transferring pollen to the pistil of another flower, bees and bumblebees contribute to the pollination of aconite and, accordingly, the formation of seeds. Aconite loves soil that easily retains moisture, such as moist loam, and blooms more actively in the shade.

The name of this plant comes from the Greek word Aconae, meaning "rock" or "cliff", as it often grows in narrow mountain valleys. Napellus means "little turnip", it is on this root crop that the aconite root is a bit similar. The most common name for aconite in English-speaking countries is Monkshood, "Monastic hood" which has survived from the Middle Ages to the present day.

All parts of the plant contain complex diterpene alkaloids, most concentrated in seeds and roots: aconitine, benzyl aconine, aconine, mesaconitine, hypaconitine, neopellin, napellin, and neolin. Their content varies depending on the area of ​​growth, and ranges from 0.5 to 1.5%. And although the crystallized alkaloid aconitine is present in this mixture of alkaloids only 0.2%, it is this alkaloid that determines the toxicity of the plant. The most toxic are aconites growing in the southern regions.

Aconitine acts even stronger and faster than hydrocyanic acid. Only 0.01 grains (1 grain = 0.0648 grams), causes well-defined sensations throughout the body, which make themselves felt during the day. The strength of this poison is such that the juice of the plant, getting into a small wound on the finger, affects the entire body, not only causing pain in the limbs, but also fainting, accompanied by suffocation.

Symptoms of aconite poisoning begin to manifest as a burning sensation in the mouth, then numbness occurs first of the tongue, and then of the entire mouth, there is a feeling of goosebumps running all over the body, vomiting and uncontrollable diarrhea begin, accompanied by pain in the stomach and shortness of breath.

The pulse becomes weak and irregular, the skin cold and clammy; anxiety, fear appear, pallor, dizziness are observed, but consciousness remains clear. Then paralysis of the limbs, convulsions develop, respiratory paralysis occurs. Aconitine causes a decrease in the concentration of intracellular potassium. The loss of potassium by the heart muscle leads to a decrease in myocardial excitability, blockade and cardiac arrest. Death can occur 1-2 hours after ingestion of aconite.

There is no specific antidote, but with immediate first aid, the patient can be saved.

The victim needs to do a gastric lavage, give digitalis tincture inside to maintain cardiac activity, in its absence, you can give the victim a little diluted brandy, and, while waiting for the doctor, do artificial respiration and rub the limbs.

As a raw material for the preparation of a deadly poison, aconite has been known since ancient times. According to ancient Greek myths, it was created by the gloomy goddess Hecate from the saliva of Cerberus, a dog guarding the gates to the kingdom of the dead. It was with poison made from aconite that Medea filled Theseus' goblet. The Scandinavians believed that aconite grew up at the site of the death of the god Thor, who defeated the poisonous snake and died from its bites. According to legend, the great Tamerlane died from aconite poisoning - his skullcap was soaked with poisonous juice.

Aconite and belladonna were part of the "magic" potion used by medieval witches to achieve the sensation of flight: aconite disrupted the heart, and belladonna caused hallucinations, in combination, these symptoms allowed the witches to "fly".

Today, the properties of aconite as a raw material for the production of medicines are fully realized; medicines prepared on its basis have great importance in modern medicine. Especially often they are used by homeopathic doctors. Tinctures and ointments containing aconite are used mainly externally, used to relieve neuralgic, rheumatic pains and lumbago.

Aconite is used in Tibetan and Chinese medicine. Aconite, which grows in China and East India (it is especially common in the states of Sikkim and Assam), has especially strong properties. ferox . The poison obtained from the roots of this plant is called bikh or nabi here. During the war with the British, the Indians, using spears, pikes and arrows poisoned with this poison, even managed to stop the offensive of the well-armed British regular army. Bikh poison is also used when hunting tigers.

Abu Abdullah Jafar ibne Mohammad Rudaki

You can talk about poisonous plants for a long time. But, limiting ourselves to the scope of the article, let's make a brief summary:

• extreme care must be taken when dealing with them, especially if we grow them in our garden or at home;
• they have long ceased to be a scarecrow, which they were for centuries, if not millennia, for superstitious, poorly educated people;
• they live near us, many of them are amazingly beautiful;
• people have learned to use their properties for healing and - that's a paradox! - to save lives.

In conclusion, it only remains for me to quote from the poems of the great Persian-Tajik poet of antiquity Rudaki (858-941), who lived in the 10th century, who wrote:

"What is now called a drug, tomorrow will be poison.So what? The sick will again consider poison to be a medicine .. "