578 POISONOUS PLAXTS 



Ochroma lagopus. Down Tree. (Malvaceae). Curious brown, erect fruit, which 

 when dehisced resembles a brush of soft greyish down. 



Ochrosia acuminata. (Apocynaceae). Bright red, oval fleshy fruits, H to 2 in. 

 long. Ornamental but poisonous. 



Oroxylum indicum. "Totilla." (Bignoiiiaccnc). Immense, slightly curved pods, 

 resembling cricket bats at a distance. 



Pandanus Leram. Nicobar Breadfruit. (Pandanaceae). Huge fleshy fruits 

 borne at base of leaves; orange yellow when ripe. 



Pangium edule. Pangi. (Mai.) (Bixaccae). A large Malayan tree with broad 

 leaves. The large rusty-brown woody fruits are of the size of small coco- 

 nuts, said to be poisonous until boiled and macerated in water, when they 

 become edible. 



Parmentiera cereifera. ( Rignoniaceae ). Remarkable candle-like pale yellow 

 fruits, borne on stem and branches. See Ornamental Foliage Trees. 



Sterculia Balanghas. " Nawa " S. (Stercnliaceae). Large yellow shell-like fruit; 

 when dehisced it exposes black shiny seeds which hang from the 

 margins like teeth. 



Tabernaemontana dichotoma. Forbidden Fruit ; Eve's Apple; "Divi-kaduru," 

 S. (Apocynaceae). A small tree of Ceylon and S. India, with pale grey 

 bark, common at low elevations. The curious pendulous fruit is half- 

 round, with a clean-cut depression along one side, which has suggested 

 the popular names, being supposed to resemble a partly eaten fruit. 

 Some even imagine they see in it Eve's teeth marks ! 



POISONOUS PLANTS 



Certain families of plants are characterized generally by 

 distinct poisonous characters, while others, as the Cruciferae, are 

 remarkably free from any poisonous traces. To the former belong 

 Aroideae, Euphorbiaceae, Apocynacere, Asclepiadeae, Urticaceae, 

 Solanaceae, Umbelliferae, LoganiacecC, and others. Some of these, 

 however, as Solanaceae and Umbelliferae, also furnish wholesome 

 food products. Any plant which possesses a milky juice should be 

 treated with caution until more is known about it. In former times, 

 and even till this day in certain uncivilised countries, persons sus- 

 pected of witchcraft or crime were made to swallow portions of 

 certain poisonous plants, or confess the alleged offence; if the 

 persons died from the effects they were considered to be guilty, 

 while if they vomited the poison they were held to be innocent. 

 The following are well-known ordeal poisons. 



HISTORICAL OR ORDEAL POISONS 



Hippomane mancinella; Manchineal Tree. (Enphorbiacecv). A celebrated poison 

 tree of tropical S. America; it is also indigenous to some W. Indian 

 islands. 



Erythrophloeum guineense; " Sassy Bark " (Legnminoscv). A well-known poi- 

 sonous tree of Sierra Leone. 



