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Oh dear - you are quite right David and I hope you won't suffer any
ill-efects from your experiment. I've found another reference (the
encyclopedia of north american wild flowers) which says the berries are very
poisonous! It says that the young leaves can be added to salads or cooked as
greens but the older leaves are too tough. Traditional use in this
reference says "poultice of fresh leaves for burns, sores and og bites, and
a tea from the plant ot treat heart problems and diabetes. The root was
used to help with labour.
Mary
----Original Message Follows----
From: David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com>
Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Mystery plant (picture)
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2006 20:44:21 -0300
Hi Mary & All, Aug 13, 2006
I finally remembered to bring some berries home today for a taste test.
One was enough; very soapy and too foul to swallow. It is safe to assume
that the author did not test these berries. Also I wonder about healthy
plant tissue containing a significant amount of acetic acid.
Some compendia of edible/medicinal plants are loaded with misinformation
and I wonder if this applies here.
The young rolled leaves of Clintonia, when they are <5 cm long, are a
pleasant nibble with a cucumber flavor [young leaves cooked are reputed to
make a good potherb but I have never tried this]. With age the leaves become
bitter and, if I recall correctly, the leaves are seldom fed upon by insects
so I suspect latex [it is odd but such thoughts surface when one is typing
an e-mail and not when one has a plant within reach].
Yours truly, Dave Webster, Kentville
Mary Macaulay wrote:
>
>Hi Rick,
>According to one of my references (Use of Plants for the past 500 years by
>Charlotte Erichesen-Brown - p346-347). The native people used this plant
>(probably the roots as they contain diosgenin) for treatment of tumours.
>The berries are said to be sweetish and edible containing dextrose,
>levulose (fructose), tartaric and acetic acid and fatty oil (not defined).
>Mary
>
>----Original Message Follows----
>From: "Rick Ballard" <RBallard@NL.Rogers.Com>
>Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Mystery plant (picture)
>Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 22:08:28 -0230
>
>Interestingly, although the berries of Clintonia borealis are widely
>regarded and reported as
>being poisonous ( even commonly called Poisonberry in NF ), I have been
>unable to find a
>reference that tells exactly what the poison is, or its effects. After an
>hour with Google I
>turned up nothing specific.
>
>It is not listed in "A Field Guide to Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms of
>North America". The
>book has a reference for Corn Lily, but it is a different plant altogether.
>
>Some quotes from the web:
>
>"POISONOUS PARTS: Berries suspect, caution. No known cases. Toxic
>Principle:
>Unknown; suspected due to relation to toxic plants. "
>
>"The fruits' toxicity hasn't been confirmed, but a Mi'kmaq tale suggests
>that the whole might
>be toxic."
>
>Wikipedia says:
>"The rhizome contains diosgenin, a saponin steroid with estrogenic
>effects."
>"According to a Mi'kmaq tale, when a grass snake eats a poisonous toad, it
>slithers in rapid
>circles around a shoot of blue-bead lily to transfer the poison to the
>plant."
>
>Does anyone have any more definite information ?
>
>Date sent: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 20:15:23 -0300
>From: Ken MacAulay <kenmacaulay@eastlink.ca>
>Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Mystery plant (picture)
>To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>Send reply to: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>
> > Jeannie. This looks like Clintonia or blue bead lily. Those pretty
> > blue berries are poisonous.
> > Ken MacAulay
> > Port Mouton
> >
>
>
>--
>Rick Ballard
>Torbay, Newfoundland, Canada
>http://www.ideaphore.com
>
>
>
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