202 MEDICINAL AND POISONOUS PLANTS 



Young shoots of the elder (Fig. 183) eaten as a pickle have 

 also proved poisonous. 



The propensity which children have for chewing vari- 

 ous leaves occasionally leads them into danger. A plant 

 which they need to be warned against is the Indian tobacco 

 (Fig. 188) that grows very commonly in pastures and might 



Fig. 189. — Mountain Laurel {Kalmia latifolia. Heath Family, Ericaaw). 

 a, flowering branch, J. 6, flower, }. c, cki.ster of fruits, i. (Chesnut.) — 

 Shrub 1-12 m. tall; leaves evergreen; flowers pink; fruit dry, brownish. 

 Native home, Eastern United States. 



Fig. 190. — Sheep Laurel {Kalmia anc/ustifoUa, Heath Family, Ericacccr). 

 Flowering liranch. Flower. Fruiting branch. Fruit. (Britton and 

 Brown.) — Shrub 1.5 cm.-l ni. tall; leaves evergreen; flowers pur- 

 plish or crimson; fruit dry, jjrownish. Native home. Eastern North 

 America. 



prove alluring perhaps on account of its common name. 

 Every part of the plant is highly poisonous. It has been ex- 

 tensively u.sed in quack medicines and has caused a large 

 number of deaths. Very young i)lants of the mountain laurel 

 (Fig. 189) and the sheep laurel (Fig. 190) are especially dan- 



