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Fatal Flowers (10 photos)
Flowers - a joke of nature, which allows plants to deceive insects to breed, and as an added bonus, the people are what makes their gardens look much nicer. There are about 350,000 species of flowering plants, and most of them completely innocent. But a small handful of them - the brutal killer with a completely lack of remorse.
10. Kalmia latifolia.
Kalmia latifolia, better known as the mountain laurel blooms delicate pink and white flowers in late spring. This flower - emblem of the State of Pennsylvania and Connecticut, and it grows almost everywhere in the eastern United States. He's great, but under the elegant exterior hides a killer.
Poison secret Kalmia latifolia in grayanotoxin and arbutin, but it is - the first thing you have to worry. Grayanotoxin makes the heart beat dangerously fast, the danger slowly. In healthy people, there are natural gates that block half the electrical pulse coming into the body. The toxin causes the Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW), which breaks down the gate, allowing the entire pulse to reach your heart. The result? Sudden death. But this is only larger doses. In smaller doses, you can expect a large number of vomiting, after which each of the holes in your head starts to leak fluid. About an hour later, your breathing slows down, you lose the ability to move, falls into a coma and die.
But the horror is that people have honey from bees who visited Kalmia latifolia, as this honey has all the toxic properties of the flower. The Greeks called it "mad honey", and used to defeat Xenophon of Athens in 400 BC
9. Jacob Ragwort.
Groundsel, common wildflower in the UK, and the exhaust gas is an important part of the local ecosystem. Nearly 80 types of insect food produced therefrom, and at least 30 of them are exclusively ragwort. Because of this flower has a special interest in nature conservation societies. This is - good news for the bugs, but bad news for everyone else. The World Health Organization has confirmed the presence of at least eight toxic alkaloids in this important ecosystem flower, and suggest that there is still at least ten hazardous components.
The problem is that unlike most poisons which are easily excreted, alkaloids of ragwort accumulate in the liver for a long time. Accumulated toxins lead to cirrhosis, a disease in which the liver is slowly winding down, because healthy cells turn into a useless mass of scar tissue. The liver - an elastic body, and continues to operate normally up to a maximum of 75 percent of the destruction, but by the time symptoms begin to appear, the damage is already irreversible.
Symptoms include loss of coordination, blindness, abdominal pain and yellowing of the eyes of bile pigment that fills the surface membrane of the eye. Unfortunately, it is - another toxin that can get into the honey, as well as in the milk of goats that eat ragwort. And to top it all, when farmers are trying to remove ragwort from their fields, toxins can seep directly into the skin.
8. Veratrum.
Meets almost every mountain in the northern hemisphere species of hellebore blooms magnificent spiral bands of white, heart-shaped flowers. The plant is usually grown for decorative purposes, because even the leaves look very attractive, and in the wild it is often confused with garlic. But pretty or not, each part of the plant, from the roots to the pistils, lethally toxic.
The first symptom of poisoning hellebore - severe stomach cramps, which usually begin about 30 minutes after a meal. Since the toxins released into the bloodstream, they rush into the ion channels. Ion channels act like gates, allowing sodium to pass through the nerves, causing activity. For example, the opening of ion channels in the muscle cells begin a process that leads to muscle contraction.
When toxins hellebore affect ion channels, they open the gates, forcing the channel to operate continuously. The body does not know what to do with it, so the heart begins to speed up and slow down alternately. Muscles throughout the body convulse. Eventually the toxin causes a heart attack, or coma. It is believed that this - the poison that killed Alexander the Great.
7. Zantedeschia.
Gorgeous perennial Zantedeschia has been delivered to all continents except Antarctica, and is a major plant for ornamental gardens. It is often called the Cullens, even though they are not even remotely related to the lily and are similar in appearance. Bright colors lamp forms can be of various colors.
Varieties Zantedeschia contain calcium oxalate, a chemical that forms needle like crystals in the internal organs of mammals. More than 1,000 species of plants contain calcium oxalate, and Zantedeschia is one of the most dangerous, in part because it is so widespread. Even a tiny dose of a chemical is enough to make a man's throat to swell, along with an intense feeling of fire.
The more you eat, the worse the symptoms until the bumps on your throat, so big that they close the airway. In one incident, a Chinese restaurant accidentally added flower petals toxic plants in the food, sending everyone who ate it, to the hospital.
6. Colchicum autumnal.
Homeland colchicum autumn is the United Kingdom, but it can be found in most of Europe and New Zealand. One of its common names "naked lady", and it was under this name hides sexy cold-blooded killer. The only known antidote for poisoning crocus - a slow, painful death.
Working here is the chemical colchicine, a poison that kills a manner similar to arsenic, just systematically stopping all vital functions of your body. The massive organ failure, blood clots, and the destruction of nerves are just a few terrifying symptoms of poisoning crocus. Every few days there is a new symptom, when another internal system fails.
Death can come at any time, from a few days to a few weeks, and yes, it is always fatal. But worst of all, the flower leaves you in the mind until the very end, forcing you to experience every painful moment. People compared colchicum death from cholera.
5. almond.
Bobovnikov also adopted took Chemicals - cytisine. In small doses, cytisine is not very harmful. As a medicine, it sometimes helps people to quit smoking due to its ability to interact with nicotinic receptors and mute them. But in large doses, it leads to death.
Almond poisoning were recorded for centuries and it is almost always the victims were children who ate the flowers or seeds, similar to the pea pods. Cytisine, which is present in all parts of the plant starts to work within minutes. Poisoning begins with intense vomiting, followed by streams of foam pouring out of his mouth. About an hour into convulsions.
Normally, convulsions occur periodically, like waves. But cytisine poisoning, the gaps between the convulsions are so small that your muscles contract continuously, called tetanic contraction. All this ends with a deep coma and death. Fortunately, these days people usually do not die from poisoning almond, because the commute to the hospital in time.
4. Cerberus.
Cerberus is probably the most accurate alternative name in the whole realm of colors. Local residents in India it is known as the "tree of suicide." But it is not only a good "helper" for suicide, according to a team of scientists who examined a large number of deaths in the southwestern region of India, Cerberus is the perfect murder weapon. Over a 10-year period, at least 500 deaths were the work of a blossoming tree that kills powerful glycoside called tserberin.
Tserberin starts working within an hour. After mild abdominal pain You fall into a coma, and your heart stops beating. The whole process takes about three hours. The chemical is impossible to detect, which is why it is commonly used as a murder weapon.
3. Sanguinar Canada.
Better known as bloodroot, Sanguinar found in eastern North America. Native Americans used the blood-red roots as decorative paints, and they used it to cause miscarriage. A large number can send you into a coma.
People later began to use it as a home remedy for skin cancer, but she had terrible side effects. Potentilla comprises chemical sangvirin which, in addition to the fact that a dangerous toxin is corrosive. Corrosive substances destroy the fabric, leaving black scars or scabs. In other words, the application of Potentilla your skin causes the skin cells to kill themselves.
The same thing happens inside. The chemical destroys important enzymes, which does important work in pumping sodium out of the cells and the development of potassium. When this happens, all the functions are being violated.
2. Adenium obesum.
This native of Africa, Adenium obesum, was used as a poison for copies of local tribes for centuries. Desert Rose, as they call the poison is prepared by boiling the flowers for 12 hours before the liquid has completely evaporated. The resulting sticky substance is very concentrated poison. He is so toxic that a small amount of venom with a spear or arrow begins to act before the victim runs 2 km, so hunters can safely go on the trail until production tries to escape.
This plant is used by tribes throughout Africa, to kill animals, even such as elephants, and now, when we studied it, we know why. The plant contains a chemical ouabain, which in large doses causes breathing problems.
Another flower from family kutrovyh grows in the same region, and hunters often use it with Adenium. It also contains ouabain, and it turns out that people are not the only locals in Africa, using its lethal power - African rat chewing on the bark of plants and licks the fur covering its toxins and transforming itself into the base lump of sudden death, for those who want to enjoy krysyatinki .
1. Water Dropwort water.
In 2002, eight tourists in Argyll, Scotland, decided to get some root parsnip. They returned home and add it to dinner. The next day, four were in the hospital. What they thought was parsnips, actually turned out to Water Dropwort water. Mortality from the plant reaches 70 percent, so the company was lucky that no one died.
The plant has an interesting feature. This killer toxin, oenanthotoxin, relaxes the muscles of your lips and force you to smile, even when you are having meal fatal convulsions. The plant is used in Greece since at least the eighth century BC, it was then that Homer coined the term "sardonic smile" to describe the awful smile decorating the face of the victims of this plant killer.
10. Kalmia latifolia.
Kalmia latifolia, better known as the mountain laurel blooms delicate pink and white flowers in late spring. This flower - emblem of the State of Pennsylvania and Connecticut, and it grows almost everywhere in the eastern United States. He's great, but under the elegant exterior hides a killer.
Poison secret Kalmia latifolia in grayanotoxin and arbutin, but it is - the first thing you have to worry. Grayanotoxin makes the heart beat dangerously fast, the danger slowly. In healthy people, there are natural gates that block half the electrical pulse coming into the body. The toxin causes the Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW), which breaks down the gate, allowing the entire pulse to reach your heart. The result? Sudden death. But this is only larger doses. In smaller doses, you can expect a large number of vomiting, after which each of the holes in your head starts to leak fluid. About an hour later, your breathing slows down, you lose the ability to move, falls into a coma and die.
But the horror is that people have honey from bees who visited Kalmia latifolia, as this honey has all the toxic properties of the flower. The Greeks called it "mad honey", and used to defeat Xenophon of Athens in 400 BC
9. Jacob Ragwort.
Groundsel, common wildflower in the UK, and the exhaust gas is an important part of the local ecosystem. Nearly 80 types of insect food produced therefrom, and at least 30 of them are exclusively ragwort. Because of this flower has a special interest in nature conservation societies. This is - good news for the bugs, but bad news for everyone else. The World Health Organization has confirmed the presence of at least eight toxic alkaloids in this important ecosystem flower, and suggest that there is still at least ten hazardous components.
The problem is that unlike most poisons which are easily excreted, alkaloids of ragwort accumulate in the liver for a long time. Accumulated toxins lead to cirrhosis, a disease in which the liver is slowly winding down, because healthy cells turn into a useless mass of scar tissue. The liver - an elastic body, and continues to operate normally up to a maximum of 75 percent of the destruction, but by the time symptoms begin to appear, the damage is already irreversible.
Symptoms include loss of coordination, blindness, abdominal pain and yellowing of the eyes of bile pigment that fills the surface membrane of the eye. Unfortunately, it is - another toxin that can get into the honey, as well as in the milk of goats that eat ragwort. And to top it all, when farmers are trying to remove ragwort from their fields, toxins can seep directly into the skin.
8. Veratrum.
Meets almost every mountain in the northern hemisphere species of hellebore blooms magnificent spiral bands of white, heart-shaped flowers. The plant is usually grown for decorative purposes, because even the leaves look very attractive, and in the wild it is often confused with garlic. But pretty or not, each part of the plant, from the roots to the pistils, lethally toxic.
The first symptom of poisoning hellebore - severe stomach cramps, which usually begin about 30 minutes after a meal. Since the toxins released into the bloodstream, they rush into the ion channels. Ion channels act like gates, allowing sodium to pass through the nerves, causing activity. For example, the opening of ion channels in the muscle cells begin a process that leads to muscle contraction.
When toxins hellebore affect ion channels, they open the gates, forcing the channel to operate continuously. The body does not know what to do with it, so the heart begins to speed up and slow down alternately. Muscles throughout the body convulse. Eventually the toxin causes a heart attack, or coma. It is believed that this - the poison that killed Alexander the Great.
7. Zantedeschia.
Gorgeous perennial Zantedeschia has been delivered to all continents except Antarctica, and is a major plant for ornamental gardens. It is often called the Cullens, even though they are not even remotely related to the lily and are similar in appearance. Bright colors lamp forms can be of various colors.
Varieties Zantedeschia contain calcium oxalate, a chemical that forms needle like crystals in the internal organs of mammals. More than 1,000 species of plants contain calcium oxalate, and Zantedeschia is one of the most dangerous, in part because it is so widespread. Even a tiny dose of a chemical is enough to make a man's throat to swell, along with an intense feeling of fire.
The more you eat, the worse the symptoms until the bumps on your throat, so big that they close the airway. In one incident, a Chinese restaurant accidentally added flower petals toxic plants in the food, sending everyone who ate it, to the hospital.
6. Colchicum autumnal.
Homeland colchicum autumn is the United Kingdom, but it can be found in most of Europe and New Zealand. One of its common names "naked lady", and it was under this name hides sexy cold-blooded killer. The only known antidote for poisoning crocus - a slow, painful death.
Working here is the chemical colchicine, a poison that kills a manner similar to arsenic, just systematically stopping all vital functions of your body. The massive organ failure, blood clots, and the destruction of nerves are just a few terrifying symptoms of poisoning crocus. Every few days there is a new symptom, when another internal system fails.
Death can come at any time, from a few days to a few weeks, and yes, it is always fatal. But worst of all, the flower leaves you in the mind until the very end, forcing you to experience every painful moment. People compared colchicum death from cholera.
5. almond.
Bobovnikov also adopted took Chemicals - cytisine. In small doses, cytisine is not very harmful. As a medicine, it sometimes helps people to quit smoking due to its ability to interact with nicotinic receptors and mute them. But in large doses, it leads to death.
Almond poisoning were recorded for centuries and it is almost always the victims were children who ate the flowers or seeds, similar to the pea pods. Cytisine, which is present in all parts of the plant starts to work within minutes. Poisoning begins with intense vomiting, followed by streams of foam pouring out of his mouth. About an hour into convulsions.
Normally, convulsions occur periodically, like waves. But cytisine poisoning, the gaps between the convulsions are so small that your muscles contract continuously, called tetanic contraction. All this ends with a deep coma and death. Fortunately, these days people usually do not die from poisoning almond, because the commute to the hospital in time.
4. Cerberus.
Cerberus is probably the most accurate alternative name in the whole realm of colors. Local residents in India it is known as the "tree of suicide." But it is not only a good "helper" for suicide, according to a team of scientists who examined a large number of deaths in the southwestern region of India, Cerberus is the perfect murder weapon. Over a 10-year period, at least 500 deaths were the work of a blossoming tree that kills powerful glycoside called tserberin.
Tserberin starts working within an hour. After mild abdominal pain You fall into a coma, and your heart stops beating. The whole process takes about three hours. The chemical is impossible to detect, which is why it is commonly used as a murder weapon.
3. Sanguinar Canada.
Better known as bloodroot, Sanguinar found in eastern North America. Native Americans used the blood-red roots as decorative paints, and they used it to cause miscarriage. A large number can send you into a coma.
People later began to use it as a home remedy for skin cancer, but she had terrible side effects. Potentilla comprises chemical sangvirin which, in addition to the fact that a dangerous toxin is corrosive. Corrosive substances destroy the fabric, leaving black scars or scabs. In other words, the application of Potentilla your skin causes the skin cells to kill themselves.
The same thing happens inside. The chemical destroys important enzymes, which does important work in pumping sodium out of the cells and the development of potassium. When this happens, all the functions are being violated.
2. Adenium obesum.
This native of Africa, Adenium obesum, was used as a poison for copies of local tribes for centuries. Desert Rose, as they call the poison is prepared by boiling the flowers for 12 hours before the liquid has completely evaporated. The resulting sticky substance is very concentrated poison. He is so toxic that a small amount of venom with a spear or arrow begins to act before the victim runs 2 km, so hunters can safely go on the trail until production tries to escape.
This plant is used by tribes throughout Africa, to kill animals, even such as elephants, and now, when we studied it, we know why. The plant contains a chemical ouabain, which in large doses causes breathing problems.
Another flower from family kutrovyh grows in the same region, and hunters often use it with Adenium. It also contains ouabain, and it turns out that people are not the only locals in Africa, using its lethal power - African rat chewing on the bark of plants and licks the fur covering its toxins and transforming itself into the base lump of sudden death, for those who want to enjoy krysyatinki .
1. Water Dropwort water.
In 2002, eight tourists in Argyll, Scotland, decided to get some root parsnip. They returned home and add it to dinner. The next day, four were in the hospital. What they thought was parsnips, actually turned out to Water Dropwort water. Mortality from the plant reaches 70 percent, so the company was lucky that no one died.
The plant has an interesting feature. This killer toxin, oenanthotoxin, relaxes the muscles of your lips and force you to smile, even when you are having meal fatal convulsions. The plant is used in Greece since at least the eighth century BC, it was then that Homer coined the term "sardonic smile" to describe the awful smile decorating the face of the victims of this plant killer.
