edible, but poisonous

[aquilegia]

Strange title, I know, but I couldn't think what to call it...

But I was thinking of plants that are partially edible, partially, poisonous.

Like how come rhubarb stalks are edible, but the leaves are poisonous?

And is it true that green potatoes are poisonous? Why?

I know parsley is related to something deadly that Socrates (or was it Plato) took to commit suicide.

Are there any more like that?

[Garden Manager]

Hi Aquilegia

Green potatoes are poisonouts because (i think) that with the green comes a chemical that disagrees with us.  Not that its realy bad, not like the fruits of the potato plant which you sometimes get. They are really poisonous.

Think of the potato's relative the deadly nightshade.

Then again its strange since we eat the fruit of another relative the tomato    

Strange world huh?

[allotment_chick]

Weird isn't it......and (as an aside) how did our ancestors know what might be good to eat and might not (observers of nature, I guess?).  That works for things we eat raw, but how did people start to cook?  Was it an accident?  Did Mrs Caveperson drop a spud on the fire?  ?  Fascinating...

AC

[Palustris]

The deadly poson swallowed by the Greek philospher was Water Hemlock, which just looks like parsley and is deadly dangerous. Many plants which we eat are poisonous in their wild forms, though mostly mildly so.

[Tenuse]

Lots of edible mushrooms picked from the wild, e.g. Morels, have to be boiled first to get rid of the mild poisons they contain!

Ten x

[aquilegia]

AC - I often wonder that too. I know animals know by other methods that things are poisonous and it's a skill that we've lost. I'm not sure if they are taught what to eat or if they tell by the smell, colour, whatever.

Ten - how could I forget about mushrooms. There are of course those that are edible but if you eat them you end up seeing paisley everywhere! trippy!

[Garden Manager]

Some animals must have an instinct for poisonous plants, others dont.

Take horses for example. They cant seem to tell that ragwort is bad for them hence we mustnt let them near any. And yet there must be some things they dont eat because they know its bad for them. Strange.  

[aquilegia]

Richard - the problem with ragwort for horses (and farm animals for that matter) is not when it is growing - yellow is a danger colour for horses, so they avoid it. But when it's dead and dry they will eat it.

Ragwort is evil evil stuff. I've seen a horse die from ragwort poisoning. absolutely horrid.  

(You've got me on my other favourite subject now - horses - so watch out! )