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Project Noah Nature School
Gloriosa superba
"This species is a perennial herb growing from a fleshy rhizome. It is scandent, climbing using tendrils, the stem reaching 4 meters long. The leaves are mainly alternately arranged, but they may be opposite, as well. They are somewhat lance-shaped and tipped with tendrils"
"This plant is poisonous, toxic enough to cause human and animal fatalities if ingested." " It has been used to commit murder, to achieve suicide, and to kill animals.Every part of the plant is poisonous, especially the tuberous rhizomes. As with other members of the Colchicaceae, this plant contains high levels of colchicine, a toxic alkaloid. It also contains the alkaloid gloriocine. Within a few hours of the ingestion of a toxic amount of plant material, a victim may experience nausea, vomiting, numbness, and tingling around the mouth, burning in the throat, abdominal pain, and bloody diarrhea, which leads to dehydration."
Spotted on Nov 11, 2014
Submitted on Jan 5, 2015
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