1. Wolf's - Bane
The list of poisonous plants begins with the genus Aconitum, all species of which are toxic. It has ominous nicknames around the world, such as Queen of Poisons and Devil's Helmet.
It contains many toxic substances, the most dangerous of which is the neurotoxin aconitine. Although the whole plant is poisonous, the roots are its deadliest part. The efficacy of aconitine from tubers has long been known and has been used as an arrow poison. Thus, toxins are also absorbed from the skin and mucous membranes, but the dose is often not enough to kill; when eaten, the thing is different. Just a few grams of thunderbolt rhizome is enough to cause a painful death. Deaths are rare but not unheard of.
Within about a quarter, the first symptoms begin, which include a burning sensation in the mouth, tingling, difficulty swallowing, and hallucinations of the limbs. More severe symptoms - muscle paralysis and cardiac arrhythmias - begin within about 1 to 6 hours of eating.
Due to its anesthetic properties, it has been used as a medicine and an effective poison in murders and executions in ancient Rome.
2. Golden Rain
Wild rains ( Laburnum ), which grow wild in southern Europe, are popular ornamental shrubs and trees in the parks and gardens in south Finland. The name of the golden rain is quite apt, as its yellow inflorescences are abundant and drooping.
The whole plant contains an alkaloid called cystic, but the most toxic part is its seeds. Therein lies a place of danger, as the origins of the golden rain are a bit like peas. Children should therefore be warned, as symptoms of poisoning that begin within an hour can only come from eating one seed. Symptoms include nausea, muscle weakness, arrhythmias, low blood pressure, and impaired coordination. Convulsions, unconsciousness, and respiratory depression may also occur in a severely toxic state.
Cystic is also a teratogenic substance, meaning it can cause congenital disabilities and malformations. However, gold rain does not in itself need to be avoided, as it does not release harmful substances into the environment, and there is no danger from it other than when eaten.
3. Ricin
Castor ( Ricinus communis ) is a large and shrub-like plant grown as a summer flower in gardens and parks in the widths of Finland. Ricin is originally from East Africa.
The bean-like seeds of the castor plant, which resemble a slightly saturated mite, produce harmless castor oil that relieves stomach symptoms and is used in beauty care. However, an extremely toxic castor is also obtained from the same plant. Of the whole seeds, castor cannot be absorbed, but if you start chewing them, only one or two pieces are enough for a life-threatening dose. Many times more lethal ricin is by inhalation or injection, and it is considered one of the most toxic substances in the world.
About five hours after ingestion, ricin causes vomiting and diarrhea, among other things. It takes up to 2 to 5 days after the initial symptoms for liver and kidney damage and central nervous system symptoms to appear. Ricin is a protein that blocks the production of some other proteins in the body, so severe symptoms come with a delay.
Ricin is undoubtedly familiar to many from high-profile assassination attempts; last year, U.S. authorities seized a shipment of castor destined for President Donald Trump. Sometimes the assassinations have succeeded, namely the Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov was murdered on castor in September 1978. Markov was waiting for a bus in London when his leg was stabbed in the umbrella. Later, the thigh began to break, after which the man developed a severe fever. Markov died three days later. At autopsy, a poison-shaped ball the size of a pinhead was found in his thigh.
4. Herbal ring flower
The herbaceous flower ( Digitalis purpurea ) is a popular ornamental plant for gardens due to its spectacular inflorescence, which does not grow naturally in Finland. In southern Finland, however, it is found somewhat escaped from the flower beds and wild.
The digitalis glycosides of the herb thistle affect the heart and central nervous system, causing loss of consciousness, convulsions, hallucinations, and stomach upset hours after exposure. To get poisoning symptoms, a person has had to eat a foxglove - any part of the plant is sufficient, as it is poisonous throughout. A single leaf can suffice for a severe poisoning condition that can cause fatal, at worst ventricular fibrillation.
The leaves of plants of the genus Digitalis have been used to treat heart failure since the 18th century. Even today, the leaves collected during the flowering period are used as a raw material in manufacturing medicines. One drug obtained from thistle flowers is digoxin, with which Salembainen's poison nurse Lembit Kapanen killed an 84-year-old woman with whom she had had a caring and socializing relationship.
5. Cowbane
The list of poisonous plants now goes to the worst, as the evil plant ( Cicuta virosa ) has been considered the most toxic of Finland's plants. Even in a minimal dose, it can cause severe muscle cramps. The venomous oyster is a reasonably common plant on southern and central Finland's shores and shallow coastal waters. Its resemblance to a harmless daisy increases its danger. The two are distinguished from magazines. For example, The venom leaves are broad and serrated compared to the delicate, double-leafed daisy leaves. The difference is best seen in the rhizome, which has a vertical and compartment in the venom. However, it is not worthwhile to study the rhizome in more detail, as the fast-absorbing cytotoxin contained in the venom is mainly found in the roots. In 2007, in Alavus, two women ended up in hospital after eating the basis of poisonous celery they thought was tuberous celery.
No poison should be played with the venom. If there is even a suspicion of possible ingestion of parts of the plant, the person should be given activated charcoal and taken to the hospital immediately.
Ingestion of cytotoxin within about an hour causes, among other things, vomiting, abdominal pain, and increased salivation. These are followed by more severe symptoms, somewhat reminiscent of an epileptic seizure, such as bloody foam from the mouth, cramping, and kidney failure. Cytotoxin-induced central nervous system overactivity can lead to cardiac arrest and respiratory arrest. Without treatment, eating poison bison can lead to death in just a few hours. Even in Finland, serious poisonings have not been fatal for a long time.
6. Oleander
The oleander ( Nerium oleander ) is a wild shrub growing in the Mediterranean and South Asia, at best up to six meters tall. Despite its toxicity, it is also considered a houseplant because of its beautiful, fragrant flowers. Most often, however, the oleander is purchased to decorate the yard, but the place must be chosen carefully so that children do not get in touch with it. Namely, the folded leaves of oleander secrete a very toxic white liquid. Avoiding the leaves is undoubtedly not enough, as every part of the plant is poisonous. People have died after using oleander twigs as rod sticks!
The liquid contains deadly oleandrin, consumed in the same set of cardiac glycosides as the digoxin of the herb. Symptoms of poisoning include abdominal pain, headache, confusion, decreased level of consciousness, arrhythmias, and convulsions.
Only one leaf of oleander can already cause life-threatening poisoning symptoms, and the fact that dried poison has been used to make rat poison in Mediterranean countries also shows the effectiveness. Thus, oleandrin and other toxic substances in the oleander keep their point even when dried.
7. Hemlock
The Hemlock ( Conium maculatum ) is very similar to the venom catfish and the harmless daisy tube, but the red-spotted stem identifies the hemlock. It was not grown initially wild in Finland, but it still has a wide range of distribution here, although it is pretty rare.
There are many toxic substances in the toxin outbreak, the most dangerous of which is cons. Although it would be tempting to make a pea gun from the hollow stem, mere blowing into it can cause nausea and burning of the mouth. Poisoning can follow very quickly after eating, and even a tiny amount is enough; 6-8 fresh leaves can be a lethal dose.
The first symptoms are vomiting and a burning sensation in the mouth and throat. Symptoms also include throwing blood pressure and arrhythmias. The danger of coming - and thus the toxin break - is due to its muscle-paralyzing effect. A severe intoxication causes numbness starting in the legs, which spreads throughout the body and eventually paralyzes the respiratory muscles. A poisoning victim can survive if they are quickly taken to a ventilator that maintains vital functions while the effects of coin disappear within a few days.
8. Rhubarb
Hand up all those who have sadly eaten rhubarb from the home garden! However, rhubarb should not be consumed in large quantities, at least raw, because its stem and especially the leaves contain a nephrotoxin called oxalate.
Mild symptoms of rhubarb poisoning include difficulty swallowing, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. In severe poisoning, the accumulation of oxalate in the body causes hypocalcemia, i.e., decreased blood calcium levels, muscle cramps, numbness and can, at worst, lead to kidney damage.
The most dangerous parts of the rhubarb are the large green leaves, which by no means should go popping. Otherwise, rhubarb is worth eating, especially when cooked, containing many essential vitamins and trace elements. If the tart rhubarb tastes great in large portions, you might want to choose some calcium-rich food, such as dairy products, as a pick-up.
9. February Daphne
The February daphne ( Daphne mezereum ) is a relatively rare shrub, but its distribution area is almost the whole of Finland, except for the northernmost part of Lapland. Its beautiful pink flowers burst in southern Finland as early as April, before it even has left. The delicate appearance should not be confused, as every part of the grove is life-threateningly toxic. Mammals, other than humans, naturally know to go its bright red berries alone, but they do not harm birds.
Although the whole plant is poisonous, its berries contain an exceptionally high amount of metering, paralyzing the nervous system and causing suffocation. Finnish natural scientist and chemist Pehr Adrian Gadd wrote lehtonäsiän Ecological already in 1751: "A few berries administered to infants given up by worms, they are said so yes they can, but it is feared hengenmenokin.".
Like many poisonous plants, the nasal has been used medicinally; when used in small quantities, it has been used to treat, among other things, rice disease, as indicated by its other names such as rice berries and ryegrass. These berries were also mixed with butter, tar, tobacco, and garlic as a therapeutic ointment instructed to be used as a joke cream for children.
10. Autumn Crocus
The toxicity of the autumn poison lily ( Colchicum autumnale ) can already be deduced from the name. It occurs wild in southern and central Europe; In Finland, the autumn poison lily, or nude, is an ornamental plant in the gardens - of course, fugitives can also be found in nature.
This bulbous plant is completely highly toxic, but most of the alkaloid colchicine is found in seeds. Like cystic in golden rain, colchicine in the autumn venom lily can cause malformations. It is for this reason that it is used to amplify plant chromosomes in laboratories.
The autumn poison lily causes symptoms of poisoning when eaten in minimal amounts. Symptoms include low blood pressure, sensory disturbances, hallucinations, severe abdominal symptoms, respiratory paralysis, and renal failure. However, colchicine, which causes nasty symptoms, is a vital drug when used, for example, to treat arthritis and pericarditis.
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