PLANTS POISONOUS TO EAT 



203 



gerous from the rather close resemblance of the leaves of small 

 seedlings to wintergreen or checkerl)erry leaves (see Fig. 147) 

 which children are fond of chewing. The laurels are among 

 our most poisonous plants and have a bad record particularly 

 with reference to domestic animals. 



Fig. 191. — Snow-on-the-mountain {Euphorbia marginata, Spurge Family, 

 Euphorbiacea) . a, whole plant, J. b, seed pod. (Chesnut.) — Annual 

 growing about 1 m. tall; upper leaves broadly margined with white; 

 flowers greenish yellow; fruit dry. Native home, Western North 

 America. 



A peculiar danger attaches to the leaves of cherry-trees, 

 especially of the wild black cherry. These trees frequently 

 grow on the borders of pastures where cattle are kept, and it 

 often happens that persons having broken off branches, 



