The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-07-31
Poison In Plants.


poison-oall or poison-ivy. 1t is a very
graceful, abundant climber, and some
times festoons trce-trunks and old
fences. At "a distance it strongly re-
Sembles the beautiful Virginia -creepcr,
which is sometimes blamed for sins not
its own. But the the two need never
be confounded. The poison-vine bears
it's leaves in clusters Of urees-the Vir-
ginia-creeper in clusters of fvcs. With
this simple rule in mind one is always
safe. But the poison-vine, dreaded as
it universally is, is not equally poison
GUS to everybody. Some persons break
out into Il rash if even the wind from it
blows upon-t them; others can go among
it and handle it with impunity. AS 4;
rule, a light person is instantly affected
by it, while dark one may escape un.
harmed
The poison-vine belongs to tho Sumac
family. Other members Of this family
being tho white or lowlamd sumac,
sometimes called poiSon-elder. This
will scarcely be found in the Park or in
the near neighborhoOd of Philadelphia
but when seen may be recognized by it's
resemblance to the wcll-knOwn rcd SIT
mac, and by the circumstances of its
growing III marshes. The red Sllmac,
however, against which some hold a
strong prejudice, is not poisonous. Like
the white, it is a low, spreading bush,
with leaves remotely resembling ferns
and with singular, pyramid-shapcd blos
SONS, the clusters OF one, of course, be-
ing red, the other white. Red Sumac
generally inhabitS dry, sandy hills. 1t
is, perhaps, more easily recognized III
the autumn than earlier, on account Of
its beautiful red leaves, SO effective in
decoration.
Another very nOxiouS Swamp-plant is
the poison-hemlock. This is Il large,
coarse plant, somewhat resembling par
ships or wild carrots in bloom. 1t hears
umbcls, or umbrella-Sllaped blossoms.
Some plants are poisonous only when
eaten, not when merely touched; but it
is much safer to let any suspected plant
alone.
AS a rule, any lily-like plant is safe.
But there is one notable exception to this,
in the case of white hcllebore. This
may be found in some low, damp woody,
situations in the Park. It's bright
green stems are rather tall and spread
ing, its leaves are broad, long, bright
green and deeply ycimcd like those of
the beautiful white day-lily of our gar
dcns; and il bears spike of dark green
blossoms about the size of cent and
these are in form perfect lilies. In"
plant is sometimes called Indian poke,
and ii does bear slight Resemblance to
the better known poke-wecd. in it's
leaves, at least.
red berries. i,'Tris But unless they know
exactly to what plant the red berries be-
long they had better not touch them,
for though there are many innocent
ones, there are others that are not SO.
The deadly nightshadc bears red berries
which arc easily mistaken for curlants.
1t might be well TO remember that these
grow on coarse, scraggy plant. The
respectable berries, however, are easily
identified. The partridgc-berry grows
on dainty little round-lcaved vine
running over the ground in high, rich
woods. The tca-berry is borne on the
summit of tiny, glossy-lcavcd plant,
whose leaves themselves arc very fra
grant. These two are almost the only
catablc re berries, though if anybody
wanted to chew the scarlet fruit of the
rose, dogwood, or asparagus, no great
harm would be done.
ElderbcrricS, blackbcrrics, raspbcrries
ttll't IllC llNC ttIC Mcll kllo" II anu SttIC.
There are any number of blucbrrrics.
The eatable ones are the hucklcbcrricS,
whortleberrics, of those growing on tho
various bushes of the Naccinium tribe,
which may be recognized as dclicatc-
lcaved plants, bearing in June clusters
of dainty white blossoms, resembling
the bells of the lily of the vally. Some
species of dogwood and the grccnbricr
Il s,,l,
uSclcsS-Dut few will mcddle with them
on account of the height of the trees
and the pricklncSs of the briars. Gram
berries, which are allied to the huck!e-
berries, are safe, if sour, though they
are red and are not found in this inn
mediate ncighborhood Shccpbcrrcs are
very pleasant. They are almost black,
grow in spreading clusters and are the
fruit Of the Viburnlm, or wild snow
VII tree. PokcberrieS are to be rcgar-
,.cd with suspicion, though there is no
objection, except on the score of clean
illness, to children staining their faces
with them, provided they do not put
them in their mouths.
Any plant bearing Il blossom which
resembles that of Il potato is to he
avoided. Strange to say, the same family
lllClUOCS lllc NdilldDlc poldlO, lOlllaIC
and eggplant and the noxious night.
shade and bolladonna. 1t is we'll known
that potato seeds, tomato stcmsand egg
plant juice arc poisonous to some The
blossoms of all these plants are very
much alike, so that few but bOtaniStS
ca! tell which are innocent and which
are not. Nightshadc is frequently
found growing where it is least cX.
pccted.
People have been accustomed to re-
gard the DuttGrCup rs harmlcSs-but il
isn't. Not that it is poisonous, but il
is most terribly arcid. Simply bite upon
it and it will burn the tongue like {;
mustard-plastcr. Cows will not toucl
buttercupS, but will eat the fields bar,
! around them. There are several Sprcies
of buttcrcups, not 80 snowy us the Oh,
best known, but much more fiery. One
variety appropriately bears the name OF
cursed-crowfoot. These plants are fire.
qucntly seen beside creeks and in daml
places.
There is another plant, every part OF
which seems to burn like coal of fire
This is poisonous, all the more danger
ouS from the fact that it is so insigmif
cant and inconSpicu0us in appearance
| 1t is the Lobclia inllata. This is very
abundant, growing in almost every
| 1rI,l I,r, |,