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Poisonous plants

Michael: Misinformation can be so infuriating! Did you know that
some people make jam from what we were brought up to call
"deadly nightshade" and never on any account touch? I have been
told it was confused with another European plant (Belladonna?)
which also has black berries ..

I quote from "A Field Guide to the Larger Fungi of the Darling
Scarp & South West of Western Australia" (whew!) by Kevn (sic) Griffiths:

The "Death-caps" and allies (amanita, probably Greek meaning
mushrooms in general):
The Amanita family is typified by its famous members: the "Fly
Agaric", Amanita muscaria and the "Death Cap", Amanita
phalloides. Neither of these has been recorded from Western
Australia although both are known - introduced - in the Eastern
States. The "Fly Agaric" is the brilliant red, white-spotted
toadstool of innumerable children's books. It is far from being
as deadly as reputed (eg the agent of murder in Dorothy Sayers'
"Documents in the Case") but, nevertheless, should still be
considered as dangerous. The "Death Cap" is every bit as deadly
as reputed and is reponsible for 95 percent of deaths from
fungus eating. _One does not experiment in eating Amanitas_,
although in the Northern Hemisphere wholesome species are known."

I've never seen any either!

Regards,  Beverly Elischer, Perth.
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