Top 7 Poisonous plants :
1. Castor Beans (Ricinus communis)
a poisonous common plant in India castor oil plant widespread throughout India and source of castor oil, highly poisonous seeds and one of the most poisonous common plant found in the world. India is the largest producer of castor oil seed, followed by China and Mozambique.
2. Alstonia scholaris :
Saptaparni is the state tree of West Bengal and is known as Saptaparni; Flowers bloom in October and are very fragrant similar to the Cestrum nocturnum flowers. Alstonia scholaris is an evergreen tree and said that this tree is causing seasonal fevers and is not good for people with asthma.
3. Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna) :
According to legend, Macbeth's soldiers poisoned the invading Danes with wine made from the sweet fruit of deadly nightshade. A native of wooded or waste areas in central and southern Eurasia, deadly nightshade has dull green leaves and shiny black berries about the size of cherries. Indeed, the sweetness of the berries often lures children and unwitting adults to consume this lethal plant. Nightshade contains atropine and scopolamine in its stems, leaves, berries, and roots and causes paralysis in the body's involuntary muscles, including the heart. Even physical contact with the leaves may cause skin irritation.
4. Rosary pea (Abrus precatorius) :
Rosary peas are native to tropical areas and are often used in jewelry and prayer rosaries. Also called jequirity beans, these piously-named seeds contain abrin, an extremely deadly ribosome-inhibiting protein. While the seeds are not poisonous if intact, seeds that are scratched, broken, or chewed can be lethal. It only takes 3 micrograms of abrin to kill an adult, less than the poison in one seed. It is said that numerous jewelry makers have been made ill or died after accidentally pricking their fingers while working with the seeds. Like ricin, abrin prevents protein synthesis within cells and can cause organ failure within four days.
5. Angel's trumpets :
Named after their large, billowing flowers, Angel's trumpets are medium-sized trees or shrubs with strong, thin trunks and red, white, orange, or pink flowers. Despite their pleasant appearance and aroma, these common garden plants are highly toxic, particularly their leaves and seeds. Rich in alkaloids such as scopolamine and hyoscyamine, the trumpets can cause diarrhea, confusion, migraines, paralysis, and even death if ingested by humans.
6. Lantana :
Don't be fooled by little ol' Lantana! These innocent-seeming, multicolored blossoms can be a little, well, shady. Native to tropical regions of the Americas, Lantana's sweet-smelling flower clusters called umbels can be found in bunches all over the Los Angeles area and are an aggressively invasive species.
The toxic property in Lantana is a triterpene, a self-defense mechanism that tastes bitter when ingested, and in large quantities, can kill pets and make humans seriously ill. Fair warning: Lantana is at its most poisonous when growing wild which in L.A. is generally its natural habitat.
7. Stinging Nettle :
Don't like needles? Stay away from stinging nettle, a weed-covered in toxic hypodermics. The plant projects hollow stinging hairs called trichomes from its leaves and stems, which inject histamine and other chemicals into the skin when you brush up against them. Washing the area and applying calamine lotion or other anti-itch creams may help relieve the stinging.
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