1. Most likely to eat a rat
Giant Pitcher Plant: Nepenthes attenboroughii
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Discovered
more than 5000 feet above sea level on Mount Victoria in the
Philippines, the giant, carnivorous pitcher plant secretes a
nectar-like substance to lure unsuspecting prey into a pool of enzymes
and acid. A series of sticky, downward ribs makes it nearly impossible
for trapped prey to escape. The plant's 30-centimeter diameter is large
enough to trap unlucky rodents, but insects are its most common meal.
Pitcher plants, of which there are about 600 different species, tend to
grow in nitrogen-deficient environments, and therefore get their
nutrients from decaying victims.
2. Most likely to be in your garden now
Castor Bean Plant: Ricinus communis
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Castor-bean
plants can be purchased at just about any garden center, despite
containing the deadly poison ricin. Amy Stewart, author of Wicked
Plants and poisonous plant expert, has an affinity for the plant and
grows several in her poison garden. Concerned gardeners can simply pluck
the seeds off the plant, Stewart says, which is where the ricin is
stored. Though the process to extract enough ricin and process it into a
weapon is complex, Las Vegas authorities have discovered the toxin in a hotel room in February 2008, and the KGB used it to permanently silence opposition.
3. Most violently toxic plant in North America
Western Water Hemlock: Cicuta douglasii
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Deemed the most
"violently toxic plant that grows in North America" by the USDA, the
water hemlock contains the toxin cicutoxin, which wreaks havoc on the
central nervous system, causing grand mal seizures--which
include loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions--and
eventually death, if ingested. Water hemlock is different from poison
hemlock, Socrates' notorious killer, in that it contains coniine
alkaloids that kill by paralyzing the respiratory system. Both are
members of the carrot family.
4. The plant that killed a president's mother
White snakeroot: Eupatorium rugosum
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Drinking milk
from a cow that decided to chow down on white snakeroot could lead to
deadly milk sickness, as was the case with Abraham Lincoln's mother
Nancy Hanks. Every part of this perennial plant contains tremetol, an
unsaturated alcohol that can cause muscle tremors in livestock before
killing them. "People were trying desperately throughout the 19th
century to figure out what was poisoning their animals," Stewart says.
It wasn't understood until the turn of the century, when the U.S.
Department of Agriculture pinpointed the cause and quickly got the word
out. Now, white snakeroot still grows wild, but more control in the
agricultural industry has helped to prevent cows from eating it.
5. The best plant to murder a dinner guest with
Monkshood: Aconitum napellus
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Stewart was
once asked what the best plant would be to murder a dinner guest
with--after much deliberation she landed on monkshood. "You could just
chop up the roots and make a stew," she says. "You don't need a
chemistry plant to do it." The vibrant purple plant, commonly found in
backyard gardens, is loaded with the poisonous alkaloid aconite, which
tends to cause asphyxiation. While Stewart is certainly joking about
cooking up a batch of monkshood stew, she urges anyone who has the plant
in their garden to wear gloves when handling it.
6. Most gruesome killer
Common Bladderwort: Utricularia macrorhiza
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This aquatic
meat eater relies on several submerged bladders to capture prey such as
tadpoles and small crustaceans. An unsuspecting passerby will brush
against an external bristle-trigger, causing the bladders to spring
open and capture it. Once inside, the victim dies of suffocation or
starvation and then decays into a liquid that is sucked up by cells on
the walls of the bladder.
7. Most animal-like
Venus flytrap Plant: Dionaea muscipula
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With the
ability to clamp shut in a half-second, the Venus flytrap's reaction
time seems fit for the animal kingdom. Insects need to touch two of the
flytrap's hairs consecutively in order for the plant to react, but the
precise mechanism that shuts the trap remains unclear. The Botanical
Society of America notes that early theories suggested that a sudden
change in the water pressure of cells triggered the response, but this
theory has since been abandoned. It now seems that when the plant is
touched, the electrical potential of the leaf is altered, triggering a
host of cellular-level events.
8. The most likely plant to turn a person into a zombie
Angel Trumpet: Brugmansia
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The droopy,
gorgeous angel trumpet, native to regions of South America, packs a
powerful punch of toxins, containing atropine, hyoscyamine, and
scopolamine. As documented in the 2007 VBS.tv documentary "Colombian
Devil's Breath," criminals in Colombia
have extracted scopolamine from the plant and used it as a potent drug
that leaves victims unaware of what they are doing but entirely
conscious. Scopolamine can be absorbed through the skin and mucous
membranes, allowing criminals to simply blow the powder in a person's
face. The documentary is filled with scopolamine-related horror stories,
including one account of a man moving all of his possessions out of
his apartment (and into the hands of his robbers) without remembering
any of it.
9. The most enticing poison
Oleander: Nerium oleander
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This extremely common evergreen shrub
is one of the most poisonous plants in the world. "If I were a parent
and covering every electrical outlet in the home to protect the kids, I
would really have to ask myself why I had an oleander plant growing,"
Stewart says. The leaves, flowers and fruit contain cardiac glycosides,
which have therapeutic applications but are likely to send someone
into cardiac arrest should he eat part of the plant. Stewart points out
that there is a woman in California currently on death row for trying
to poison her husband with the plant, and two young boys were found
dead after ingesting oleander a few years back. "People tend to be
blasé, because the flowers are bright and pretty, sort of
candy-colored. But it is a very poisonous plant that will stop your
heart."
10. Best home-security system
Mala Mujer: Cnidoscolus angustidens
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Stewart
describes this garden plant as more painful than poisonous. Mala mujer,
which translates to "bad woman," can be found in parts of the southwest
and Mexico and is covered with nasty thorns, which could be turned
into makeshift barbwire if needed. The real danger, however, comes from
the caustic, milky sap that can leak from the plant. The sap, a common
feature among many plants in the Euphorbia genus, can cause painful
skin irritations and unsightly discoloration. "I've had several people
tell me they had euphorbia saps in their eyes," Stewart says. "And they
had pretty surprisingly long-term eye damage."
Best Regards,
Jagdeesh
Oracle SOA Consultant & Corporate Trainer
Email: jagadeesh.ravi4@gmail.com
Skype ID: jagadeesh.ravi
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