#Wolfsbane flower poison full#

Despite its parasitic ways and nasty aroma, the Rafflesia arnoldii's cartoonish appearance has earned it an adorable nickname: 'the Giant Panda of the Plant World.' 3. When it does finally bloom, it releases a scent that reeks of rotting flesh in order to attract the flies that it needs to help with pollination.

After months of feeding off of the host, the flower then blooms for only five days. Instead of roots, the flower has long threads of tissue that it embeds into the host, 'Invasion of the Body-Snatchers'-style.

The Rafflesia arnoldii is actually a root parasite meaning that it has no stems or leaves and lives entirely within its host, which is usually the root of a large tree. It grows only in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, and is endangered due to overharvesting.

Its petal-to-petal girth can reach up to three feet (just under a meter) and can weigh 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms). This giant, puffy, poppy-colored, polka-dot blossom looks like something from the set of 'Sesame Street,' but is actually the largest individual flower in the world. Despite the danger, Jequirity seeds are still used as decorational beads in many of the tropical and subtropical areas of the world where it grows and can even be purchased on eBay. Making jewelry using jequirity seeds is very dangerous, and there have been cases where people died from pricking their fingers while threading the seeds. In Holland, the poisonous seeds were combined with pearls to make necklaces, according to 'Poisonous Plants of the Malay Peninsula' (Botanic Gardens Department, 1898). Despite its toxicity, Jequirity has long been a symbol of love in China, where it is called xiang si dou, or 'mutual love bean.'ĭuring the 16th century, Dutch traders brought Jequirity seeds to Europe and America to sell them as beads. The poison is called abrin, which is similar to ricin, but is milder.

#Wolfsbane flower poison full#

The Jequirity plant resembles pea pods that are about one inch long and full of black-tipped scarlet seeds that are extremely poisonous. Judd)Īlso known as Jequirity, the coral bead plant, crab's eye, creeper, lucky bean, prayer bead, red beadvine and rosary pea, the Abrus precatorius most likely originated in southeast Asia. The castor oil plant's flowers resemble spiky, hot pink pom-poms and are especially dangerous to small children. Ricin is also present in lower concentrations in the plant's glossy leaves, which are most often dark green or burgundy. The flowering plant's seeds, however, contain ricin, an extremely poisonous toxin. Castor oil can also be found in chocolate when it is used as a cocoa butter substitute, as well as in soap, laxatives, ink and plastics. The plant is also used to produce biodiesel fuel in Brazil, where it is called mamona oil. However, it also has the power to kill, as just one milligram of the plant's poison can kill an adult, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).įor centuries, the Chinese have used castor oil as a medicine and when bandaging injuries. The most poisonous plant in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Castor oil plant is also known as the 'palm of Christ', or Palma Christi, which stems from the plant oil's ability to heal wounds.

Castor oil plant the most poisonous in the world They also used them in love potions, but because these poisonous elixirs often ended up killing the paramour, the plant also earned the name of Mourning Widow. Just a few drops from the plant's roots can cause paralysis of the cardiac muscles or of the entire respiratory system, resulting in death.ĭuring the Middle Ages, witches used the wolfsbane in their 'flying' potions because of the feelings of dizziness and numbness brought on by its irregular heartbeat side effects. There are more than 250 species of Aconitum, and it is a member of the buttercup family. Its downward-curved periwinkle petals resemble a friar's cap, which explains its non-bane monikers, such as the Devil's helmet, monkshood and blue rocket. Like the oleander, it is a beautiful but deadly garden plant. The Aconitum flower seems to be the bane of everyone: It is also known as wolfsbane (originally wolf's bane), dogbane, mousebane, leopard's bane, tiger's bane, witch's bane and women's bane.