116 



area are described in this work and members of the Club in our 

 area ought to be on the watch for them. Among these are 

 Gleditsia triacanthos f . inermis, Lupinus perennis var. occidenta- 

 lis, Tephrosia virginiana var. holosericea, Desmodium nudiflo- 

 rum f. foliolatum and f. personatum, Amphicarpa bracteata var. 

 comosa, and pale-flowered and white forms of Trifolium pra- 

 tense. 



Muenscher's Poisonous Plants of the United States* 



G. T. Hastings 



Plants that we have regarded as friendly, or at least as harm- 

 less, are revealed in this book by Professor Muenscher of 

 Cornell University as treacherous enemies that may injure us or 

 our domestic animals. The first section of the book deals with 

 the nature of plant poisons, classifying them as skin irritants, as 

 the cause of photosensitization in animals that eat them, cyano- 

 genetic plants, seleniferous plants, or of half a dozen other types. 

 By far the greater part of the book is taken up with descriptions 

 of several hundred plants known to be poisonous — "all the 

 vascular plants of the United States known to cause poisoning 

 when eaten, by contact, or by mechanical injury to man or 

 animals are included." The arrangement is botanical, by orders 

 and genera. For each plant the botanical characters, range, 

 poisonous principle, symptoms of poisoning and treatment is 

 given. About a hundred plants are listed as causing dermatitis, 

 but only a dozen of these affect many people. Others such as 

 ailanthus. Queen Ann's lace or wild carrot, buttercups, Alsike 

 clover, and sheep sorrel, are troublesome to only a few people 

 or under unusual conditions. Possibly if it were generally known 

 that Cypripediums cause dermatitis very frequently, it would 

 help in conserving these beautiful flowers. The prevention of 

 poisoning by the species of Rhus and the treatment to be fol- 

 lowed after poisoning are given in detail. 



Many of the plants described poison animals that eat them, 

 but are rarely eaten if other food is available, and the great 

 majority are seldom or never eaten by man. It is surprising to 

 find sorghum, lily of the valley, iris, marsh marigold, Dutch- 



* Poisonous Plants of the United States. Walter Conrad Muenscher. 

 xvii+266 pages. 75 plates. The Macmillan Co. 1939. $3.50. 



