Dangerous plants and fungi for humans

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

There are a huge number of poisonous mushrooms and plants. It is almost impossible to list all of them, especially since there are such in every corner of the planet. In any case, dangerous plants with their poison can cause significant harm to human he alth. Moreover, deaths have been reported. But all this could have been avoided. Let's talk with you about what poisonous plants and mushrooms exist, what consequences they cause and how to avoid it.

General information

In different types of poisonous plants, the poison is located either in the stem, or in the leaves, or in the berries, or even in the roots. Therefore, it is not in vain that forest animals choose what to eat, because they know what to eat and what not. But before delving into this topic in more detail, let's give a definition.

Poisonous plants are those that can lead to poisoning of human or animal toxins. These include representatives of the flora, both temporarily containing poisons, and permanently. It must be understood that this group has a fairly large number of subgroups. DegreeThe toxicity of a poison is determined by the amount and density of chemicals and other compounds. Usually they talk about coumarins, alkaloids, glycosides, etc.

At the same time, the degree of toxicity depends not only on the type of plant, but also on its age, as well as the phase of vegetation. So, often young mushrooms are less poisonous than old ones, and vice versa. Some herbs become most dangerous during flowering, while others - when the fruit ripens. Usually the poison is concentrated in different organs in different quantities, but there are species where all the toxins are concentrated in one place. If we talk about which plant is most dangerous to human life, we can answer this: where the concentration of the poison reaches its maximum. Often these are young mushrooms and herbs, which, when dried, are no longer such a big danger. Of course, it makes sense to talk about other factors that affect the concentration of toxins. Soil, place of growth, weather conditions, etc. matter here

Industrial and domestic poisoning

Occupational poisoning is usually not as severe as household poisoning. They arise as a result of the work of employees of the enterprise with poisonous plants. Usually this is the cultivation, collection, and processing of herbs for medicinal purposes. But, as a rule, minor poisoning and can occur due to poison entering the human stomach, contact with the skin, and also through the respiratory tract. In the worst case scenario, everything ends with a short-term loss of performance. This is due to the fact that in compliance with the safety rulesemployees of enterprises are practically not exposed to harmful effects. They work in special suits and respirators and are unlikely to taste mushrooms or plants.

But household poisoning is a much more serious thing. Often, mushroom poisoning ends in death. This is usually caused by the doctor being called too late, or the dose being lethal.

Edible herbs are often confused with poisonous ones, which are kind of twins. Overdose of medicinal herbs used for external use is rare. However, this also happens. Sometimes folk healers advise using this or that tincture, which not only does not give the proper result, but can also cause serious he alth problems. You have probably already understood that there is no unequivocal answer to the question of which plant is life-threatening. The fact is that there are hundreds and even thousands of them. Let's try to cover the main ones.

Dangerous indoor plants

First of all, I would like to start with what is present in almost everyone in the house - with indoor flowers. Of course, not everyone has dangerous specimens, but those who have them usually do not know about it. Nevertheless, forewarned is forearmed. In any case, if you decide to buy a poisonous flower for your own reasons, make sure that children or animals do not get to it, otherwise the consequences can be very sad.

The most common dangerous petsplants are representatives of the euphorbia family, as well as arroids. Contact with the skin can lead to burns and swelling, but if the juice enters the body, then there is a high probability of severe poisoning. This is due to damage to the mucous membrane of the digestive organs and the central nervous system. You need to be careful with the flower familiar to many - poinsettia. And even the juice of the same tulips or hyacinths must be washed off the hands. Of course, the probability of getting a serious burn is negligible, but if you touch the mucous membrane of the eye with such a hand, then the sensations will not be pleasant.

If you decide to get yourself something from the nightshade or kurt family, then remember that their fruits are poisonous. In principle, dangerous houseplants, if properly handled, do not create unnecessary problems, but again, you must always be on the alert, do not drink plant juice, do not eat poisonous berries, and everything will be in order.

About the most poisonous mushrooms

Mushroom poisoning is perhaps one of the most severe. Most often they lead to death. That is why it is necessary to go to the forest with a good mushroom picker. Of course, if you already have experience, you can do it on your own. That's just mushrooms must be collected exclusively known. A pale toadstool that has fallen into a basket and fried in a pan, for example, can kill even a person with strong immunity, although much depends on the dose. The more poison entered the body, the less chance of survival. The poison is very resistant to heat treatment, so there issuch a mushroom, even boiled, even dried, is not recommended. Many healers advise using pale grebe for external use. Its effectiveness has been proven for a long time, but you need to be extremely careful. The toadstool has a white skirt and plates that make it easy to distinguish it from other mushrooms.

Often, champignons are confused with panther fly agaric or stinky grebe. If in the first case the poisoning is not so serious, then the smelly toadstool is very dangerous. The severity of poisoning with such a fungus can be compared with a pale toadstool. It is impossible not to mention such a mushroom as the most beautiful cobweb. Their poisoning often ends in death. This is due to the fact that the first symptoms occur only 5-10 days after eating.

So we looked at some dangerous plants and mushrooms. Now let's move on as we have more to talk about.

The most dangerous plants for humans

There are a huge number of poisonous plants on the territory of the Russian Federation, however, many people know about them, so poisoning with various herbs is quite rare. But you still need to know what can be collected and used, and what is not. Especially if you've never done it before. In central Russia, aconite, better known as a wrestler, is very common. This herb is completely poisonous, but the highest concentration of toxins is found in the leaves and roots. It is enough to eat only 2-3 grams of any part of aconite, and a lethal outcome is guaranteed. These are very dangerousplants for humans. No wonder before, before going into battle, melee weapons were abundantly smeared with aconite.

Many nightshade plants cause severe poisoning. This should include belladonna, henbane, dope, etc. Another dangerous representative is hemlock. Approximately 200 grams of roots kill an adult cow. The root and stem has an attractive smell, but it does not attract animals. They only get poisoned if they accidentally eat hemlock.

Few people would think that lilies of the valley are also dangerous. For example, their juice can affect the functioning of the heart and cause serious problems. Now let's look at other dangerous plants and fungi.

In the forest and in the field

Everyone knows that wolfberries are dangerous. This is very often said to children, and those, as luck would have it, tend to try them. They do contain toxins that can lead to poisoning. However, it is almost impossible to die from a wolf's bark. This is due to the fact that although the berries have an attractive appearance, they do not taste very good, to put it mildly. Therefore, even a child usually has time to eat only one fruit, which can only cause vomiting.

But cow parsnip is much more dangerous. Its juice makes human skin vulnerable to sunlight. In this case, you can get serious burns, even if you are in the shade. If you eat a little cow parsnip, you can get a mental disorder. Of course, it will be reversible, but this is not good enough.

The most dangerous plant for livestock- buttercup. It is worth noting that these plants are never given fresh to animals. This is due to the fact that livestock can be poisoned. However, after drying, the poison is destroyed, and such hay can be fed to both cows and rabbits. All of the above plants are actively used in medicine. For example, it is difficult to overestimate the effectiveness of celandine in dermatology or oncology.

The most poisonous plants in the world

We can safely say that the most dangerous plant on the entire planet Earth is the manchineel. Information about this representative of the flora is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records. In appearance, this is a rather unremarkable tree growing in the Caribbean and the Bahamas. Only now for us it is unknown, and every local resident knows that it is better to bypass it. Moreover, such trees are outlined with a red marker or covered with a ribbon, which symbolizes danger.

It is not uncommon for a manchineel tree to grow very large, up to 15 meters in height. But a completely logical question arises: "Why not just destroy it, since a person can die because of it?" Firstly, people are trying to save this species, and secondly, many have already tried to do it without permission. But the main problem is that it burns reluctantly, and the resulting smoke leads to serious poisoning. The manchineel tree is completely poisonous. This is a very dangerous plant for human he alth, and poisoning is often fatal. The fruit grows on the tree, very similar to apples, and they look appetizing. However, fruits, leaves and even bark - all this containslethal doses of toxins. If a little juice gets on the skin, then a terrible burn and swelling are definitely provided.

The most dangerous animal

Plants are plants, but if you don't touch them, they won't hurt you. The situation is quite different with animals. At the sight of poisonous snakes, frogs and spiders, it is better to bypass them, and not try to drive them away.

The most poisonous animal in the world is box jellyfish. It got its name because of its shape. The appearance of this marine life is very attractive, but the poison kills a person in a few minutes. Over the past 60 years, about 6 thousand swimmers have died from the poison of box jellyfish. This is a pretty impressive number. Toxins affect skin cells, the central nervous system, and the heart. It is noteworthy that usually the victim is conscious and experiences hellish pain. If this happened in the water, then there is practically no chance of salvation. However, if you react quickly and treat the wound with acetic acid, you can survive. Usually a person goes into shock immediately. If the victim of a bite does not drown, then he dies of cardiac arrest.

Besides box jellyfish and the herbs described above, there are also other dangerous animals and plants in the world that lead to death, and there are a huge number of them. But now let's talk about how this can be avoided.

How to avoid poisoning and what to do if it happens?

You must understand that almost any poisoning or bite of a poisonous animal can beneutralize. There are only a few exceptions. The first thing that is required of you is to study dangerous animals and plants. If you are traveling, take a first aid kit with you. Believe me: it can save your life, and if it doesn't come in handy, then it's for the best.

It often happens that it is difficult to understand which plant is dangerous to he alth and which is not. For example, if you want to try a little-known fruit, then you need to do this very carefully. First, a so-called skin test is performed. It lies in the fact that the fruit juice is rubbed into the delicate areas of the skin. If burning or irritation does not appear, then a small amount of juice is smeared on the corner of the lips. After they try to chew the fruit, but the pulp is spit out. If after 2-3 hours the first signs of poisoning do not appear, then you can slightly increase the dose.

But if poisoning does occur, it is necessary to remove the poison from the body as soon as possible. Do this by drinking plenty of water. Usually the liquid is diluted with a solution of potassium permanganate or soda. Water will dilute the poison and weaken its effect. Vomiting in this case is a normal reaction. Spider and snake bites require more careful handling. It is impossible to suck out the poison, as it can get into the wounds in the mouth.

Conclusion

So you and I have considered dangerous poisonous plants that are best avoided. Many experienced herbalists give advice that you should not eat herbs that, when broken, give off a milky color.juice, most often they are poisonous. It is also advised to abandon the use of all unknown types of mushrooms. The same applies to many seeds and seeds of various fruits. If the fruit itself can be edible, then this does not mean that you can eat its bones. It is not recommended to try fruits that are divided into five slices. Cherry and raspberry berries are quite edible, but their leaves are not advised to eat, especially if they are old. As they grow older, they absorb a large amount of toxins.

Now you know what life-threatening plants they are and why you need to beware of them. Take precautions. Do not try unfamiliar berries and plants and avoid snakes and spiders.