The French have a way of interpreting certain most delightful words; hence, to them, the moccasin flower is Sabot-de-LaNierge, or”our lady’s slipper.”
In old English, it was “our lady’s shoes” and was said to have “knobby a root creeping in the ripper crust of the earth.”
In both the European and American varieties, the root is poisonous; it is both a nerve stimulant and a drug to relieve spasms.
Podophyllum Peltatum
Another woodland plant that we all know, Podophyllum peltatum, is sometimes called frogs’ umbrella or May apple. It is truly American though it has cousins in Europe.
The Indians used the roots of this plant for a purge, and roots are employed in medicine today in making liver pills; the leaves are drastic in their poisonous effect.
The little apples in the green state are very repulsive in their odor, but when the fruit turns to deep, orange-yellow and when fully ripe, it is quite fragrant, having somewhat the same aroma of the fruit of the Japanese quince when left in a warm room.
In this state, it may be eaten, but as tastes differ so widely, it might be truly a case of “what is one man’s meat is another man’s poison”; hence it wiser not to serve it as a novel fruit.
Wake Robin
While the frogs have their umbrellas and May has the apple, the robin also lies his pet plant, waking him at dawn to tell him spring is here.
Along our woodland path are clusters of the little trillium or wake-robin, which nestles down the dark, rich earth between ferns.
Though the roots of the American wake-robin are not as poisonous as their English cousin, they have a medicinal value often used by the Indians. However, the taste is bitter, burning the throat and mouth painfully.
Indian Turnip
Along the path, we find another childhood favorite, the jack-in-the-pulpit, in his brown and green gown.
Again, we learn that the Indians called the plant “turnip,” and it is often referred to as an Indian turnip. They used it as a drastic medicine.
Although the green corm is poisonous, it was eaten by them, causing blistering of the tongue and mouth; but if the root is dried to powder or boiled, the aridity is less harmful and easier to take.
Wildflower
The windflower or anemone was named for Anemos, the god of the wind. It is also called the pasque flower since it blooms about Easter time.
The posset in its roots is supposed to be a charm against rattlesnake bites, and it is said that the prairie dogs may burrow with the snakes if they eat the pasque flower roots, for they are immune from the poisonous bite of the rattlers.
Amanita Mushroom
Before leaving the woods, we must look at the toadstools at the edge of the old stumps, or perhaps they are mushrooms. It is wiser not “to try one.”
If they are the latter, you will live to tell how you found them, but I fear you may not be able to say a word if they are the former.
Perhaps the most deadly of the mushroom group and the showiest is the common one, Amanita, referred to as the death cup, which should be shunned like many of the other fungi growths.
Common Buttercups
It is hard to realize that our common buttercups, as most of the crowfoot family, hold an acrid poison in their leaves and roots. The early blooming kinds seem to have less than the taller, later ones.
The meadow variety, Ratunteuins Aeris, is especially vicious since the leaves cause the skin of both AMA and beast to blister when touched.
Cattle may not eat the plant in this state but may do so if dried when the juice has entirely left the leaves, stems, and roots.
Cowbane
Cowbane, the deadly poisonous hemlock, Conium maculatum, also called stink-weed, a plant 2’to 4’feet high, is exceedingly poisonous in all its parts.
The leaves in early spring resemble Queen Anne’s Lace, fennel, and parsley; the seeds have caused the death not only of cattle but children as well.
The juice of this plant was used for the posset given to Socrates and is used in medicine for nervous diseases today.
Spotted cowbane or water hemlock, Cicada maculata, is even worse in its poisonous qualities and is called children’s bane.
The plant is 4′ to 6′ feet tall with thick, fleshy, heavy roots, which are dangerous as they grow near the surface and are pushed further up by rain or frost.
Cattle do not always distinguish them from other such roots as parsnips or fennel; they will kill cattle or a person quickly, even if only a small bite is taken.
Banes In Plant Life
There are so many “banes” in plant life and human life that one wonders how man or beast ever manages to roam at will for either pleasure or necessity without coming to harm every hour or not coming back alive at all.
Apocynum Species
One of the banes we may or should know is the dogbane, a species of Apocynum. Our dogs are constantly with us in the garden or when we take walks through the woods and fields.
Most (logs will pass the plant by unless they are looking for trouble, for they know well enough the bitter taste of the leaves and what the root will do to them if they dig it up.
The broad, oval leaves and the tiny rose flowers, not unlike those of foxgloves, are quite attractive, but the milky-white juice from the leaf and stem causes the trouble.
Black Henbane
One more bane may be mentioned: the black henbane, Hyoscyamus niger, an annual deadly poison known as hogs bane.
Jimson Weed
Another poisonous plant, looking very much like the henbane in its leaf, is the Jamestown or jimson weed, a datum of the New England pastures, fields, and roadsides.
It is known as the Devil’s apple or trumpet and is a distant cousin of the henbane. The plant is heavy and harsh, and the stems are rough and hairy, growing to 3′ feet or more.
Deeply cut, broad, green leaves with white trumpet-like flowers four or more inches long are borne at the top of tile stems. The whole plant is ill-scented and dangerous to cattle and children who may eat the seeds. The green spring growth has severely poisoned cattle.
The seeds of the datum came from Peru, being used there by the Indians for medicinal purposes.
When brought to America, however, they unhappily fell into a rubbish heap at Jamestown, hence, the name of Jamestown weed.
Blue Lobelia
In August, along sunny streams or pond edges, tall spikes of blue lobelia, and Lobelia siphilitica, stand blooming in all their glory. This beautiful plant is related to L. infiata, Indian tobacco.
Although varieties are considered to be weeds, they have a medicinal value in their acrid milky juice, which is very poisonous.
Cattle will avoid this plant, especially the young shoots, which cause them to be affected by a disease known as slobber’s, a very painful contraction of the throat followed by severe nausea. Children will be affected by the plant similarly if they nibble a stem or leaf.
Black Nightshade
The common, or black, nightshade, Solanum nigrum, is the deadly nightshade, also known as hounds berry. It rambles over banks and hedgerows, and the small, pointed, twisted leaves are often full of insect holes.
Its white flowers appear in clusters on wide, branching stems, followed by black, shiny, poisonous fruits.
An old legend says that bittersweet berries were baneful to witches and, to attain their greatest effectiveness, they must be dried on a pewter plate.
Senecio Jacobaea
Senecio jacobaea, the common ragwort known as stinking Willie, is anything but a refined plant.
This plant is very harmful to man and cattle, causing severe liver complaints, which is generally fatal but has not yet made a decision inroad in our Eastern fields. Still, the effect of the plant is so serious that every means should be taken to watch out for it before it becomes established.
Ambrosia Artemisiifolia
Ambrosia artemisiifolia is the very common ragweed of tile fields and home grounds. It is also known as hog- or hay-and stammer-wort. Everyone should know this weed which causes hay fever to many people.
Cattle are also affected by the weed, especially the bitter juice in the foliage, which gives their milk a disagreeable taste and bad odor.
Normally they will pass it by unless another forage is scarce; then, they will eat it with dire results.
Eradicating Sorrel
The common field sorrel, Rumex acetosa, looks much like the French sorrel, R. Beulah’s, which makes a delicious salad, but the stems of the field sorrel are filled with an acid juice.
This is not unpleasant to taste, yet it is very unwholesome, for it is oxalic in its nature and poisonous to horses and sheep.
The plants should be dug out, dried, and burnt to prevent seeding.
American Pokeweed
The American pokeweed, Phytolama Americana, may grow to 12’ feet, dying to the ground every fall.
The pinkish flowers opening in spring are attractive among the handsome, dark green leaves on stems purple-red.
The roots and the seeds are the poisonous parts of the showy plant, growing in low, rather moist places. If the plant is well known, the new growth is eaten by the Indians for asparagus.
Cow Parsnip
A very handsome weed is the cow parsnip, with the impressive name of Heracleum lanatum, in memory of the mighty Hercules.
Eight feet tall with handsome, broad, maple-like leaves, deeply cut, it exudes an extremely acidic juice and causes blisters to appear on the skin.
The white, flat flower turns purple at times, also the juice; the roots are very large and fleshy and difficult to dig.
Yew
One of the most satisfactory groups of evergreens in the garden is the yew, or taxus, in all its varieties.
Taxi’s baccata, the English yew, though not entirely hardy in the North, may be used to great effect in a sheltered location. The dark, rich green foliage adds greatly to the garden picture.
The fruits, or seeds, are attractive but hold a poisonous, milky juice in the tiny red cup nestled in the top of the acorn-like fruit at the tips of the branches.
Since ancient times the yew has symbolized gloomy ideas and thoughts, wits considered a cursed tree,” feared by Mart and beast.
Boxwood And Holly
The much-beloved boxwood, which we all desire to grow in our gardens, particularly litmus sempervirens, is slightly poisonous in its roots, leaves, and stems.
Another Old World plant we all admire is the English holly, Ilex aquifolium; yet poison is found in those highly-polished leaves, brilliant berries, and deep-set roots.
The name “holly” comes from the word “holy” and refers to the berries which ripen during December.
Prunus Serrulata
Wild black cherries spring up along field edges or fences, where the birds have dropped the seeds; hence, the name of the bird cherry is Prunus serrulata.
Even if the birds do eat the cherries, the man had better leave them and the dark-brown bark alone, as both are very bitter.
The birds pass by the leaves after they become withered because of the poison in them.
Klaus Remix
Not far away from the cherries stands a handsome group of plants resembling the ash, at a distance, coming closer. However, we see that the poisonous sumac Klaus remix may grow to 20′ feet or less.
The finely-divided, light-green leaflets of ten or twelve are very showy as they turn brilliant red in the Fall, making the swamps blaze with a fire-like glow. The white flowers in long bunches are followed by whitish-green, flat seeds.
“Handsome is as handsome does” could not be truly said of this plant, even though it is a fine sight, because the whole plant is extremely poisonous, possibly more so than poison ivy. Destroy it with a weed killer.
Poison Ivy Needs No Description
Poison ivy is so prevalent it needs no description. Surely, all of us should be able to recognize the plant, also called poisonous oak.
If left undisturbed, it will grow into a shrub or tree form in time, as it does in the Western section of our country.
The leaves, in three parts, are very colorful in bright red and yellow shades in the Fall, while the gray berries remain on time to plant all winter. So use every means possible to get rid of it.
Kalmia Angustifolia
Along roadsides or field margins grows the lambkill, or sheep laurel, Kalmia angustifolia. It is a low plant with deep green, shiny leaves like those carried by the rest of its family, only smaller. The tiny cup-shaped flowers of deep pink cover the bush in spring.
The plant is poisonous to sheep; hence, one of its names. Despite this, sheep like to eat it with dire results; thus, it should never be allowed to grow near where sheep or cattle are put out to pasture.
44659 by Mary Evans