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Re: Edible flowers ? poison

At 7:35 AM +1000 21/10/98, Lyn Dearborn wrote:
>You can also add the blossoms of the pineapple guava -- they are *wonderful*.
>On the sambucus (Elderberry), please note that the stems are poisonous, so
>care should be taken.
Are you sure?
>Another "deadly error" I'd like to mention to all the "eaters of plants" is
>that right now, as the seed heads are drying on fennel plants all over the
>west,
They seem so obviously differnt to me I am amazed that people would confuse
them
POISON HEMLOCK
> -- thinking it was fennel... why their father was acting brain-dead is
>beyong me ... then an hour later, in the same park, a group of docents on
>their
>way back from a training hike had a mishap because one of them reached
>over and picked a seedhead of what she **thought** was dried fennel...
>sigh ... butt
>head ... Unfortunately, she broke the most important rule there is: NEVER put
>anything in your mouth who's identity isn't 1000% positive!!
I find tasting is one of the best ways of testing if something is
poisionous. (Who was the brave person who discovered Oysters were edible?!)
Usually a nasty flavour or bitterness tells you to avoid the plant. Mr. Tim
Lowe and the Cribbs in their books on Oz Native plants and weeds give some
good advice on that point. ( ie how to taste-test poisionous plants)  I
especially liked Tim Lowes comment "Nature is not out to get you"
I often feel that "poison" is a most misunderstood word when applied to
plants. It helps to alienate people from plants and nature even more than
they are now. There seems to be a great overreaction to the whole word. Why
is plant poising such aminor cause of world mortality? If plants were
poisionous why dont more people use them for suicde? (EG 1,000 young people
aweek try to kill themselves here every week only 5 succeed).
:"Poison" is all a matter of quantity.  Carrots in the right quantity can
be poisionous. So too can water; even cleanliness can be deadly and the
most dangerous place  for getting something deadly is a hospital
 The result was
>that it was poison hemlock seeds she had put in her mouth, not fennel seeds.
>Luckily she didn't die, but when I checked in with the poison control people a
>How much would you need to die? Afair bit I would imagine?
week later, they said the woman's mouth was still numb, including her taste
>buds.
Amazing
>
>RE: DAISY PETALS -- is whoever said they are edible positive? Pyrethrum comes
>from daisies & who can tell which species is which?
The English lawn daisy (Bellis perrenis is the one mentioned)
Pyrethrum is not necessarily poisionous to humans. I will check it thoug
>* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
>			Life's Lessons Part III...
Thanks I love the quotes.

Michael Bailes.
Herbarist
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