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Hi Mary & All, Aug 15, 2006
I took care to have a glass of water ready and used it at once to
rinse everything out of my mouth. Apart from stomach cramps, for an hour
or so, there were no ill effects. And perhaps on the plus side, that
night I had unusually pleasant dreams (the best since I had pain-killers
[morphine ?] after a knee operation 30 years ago) so there may be a
euphoriant ingredient in the berries.
If any are inclined to experiment with possible mood altering
substances in these berries I would suggest extreme caution because the
composition of wild plant tissues is very variable.
Sweet dreams, Dave Webster, Kentville
Mary Macaulay wrote:
> 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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