Exploring Poisonous Plants

Poisonous plants are used in traditional medicine systems in various healing therapies. They are a rich resource of ingredients used in herbal drug formulations that are also used in the development of synthetic drugs. They are recognized for their antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic activities and for many other health benefits. Exploring Poisonous Plants: Medicinal Values, Toxicity Responses, and Therapeutic Uses provides an analysis of the most important poisonous herbs, shrubs, and trees, detailing poisonous plants while demonstrating endorsements for their potential therapeutic values. Features: Presents therapeutic potentials on various poisonous herbs, shrubs, and trees. Provides descriptions of notable toxic compounds and discusses their adverse effects when consumed by animals or people. Gives practical guidance for botanical description, distribution, phytochemical constituents, pharmacological studies, and traditional and other potential uses of selected poisonous plants. This volume in the Exploring Medicinal Plants series is appropriate for scientists, researchers, and students working with poisonous plants, as well as in areas of economic botany, plant biochemistry, biotechnology, pharmacognosy, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemistry, and nanomedicine.

"This richly illustrated book provides an in-depth natural history of the most poisonous plants on earth, covering everything from the lethal effects of hemlock and deadly nightshade to the uses of such plants in medicine, ritual, and chemical warfare"--Dust jacket.

Poisonous Plants introduces readers to poisonous plants from around the world and the ways in which they defend themselves. From poisonous berries to beautiful, luring flowers, readers will be fascinated with these plants' abilities to trick prey! Vibrant, full-color photos and carefully leveled text will engage young readers as they learn more about plants' powerful abilities. An infographic aids understanding, and an activity offers readers an opportunity to extend discovery. Children can learn more about poisonous plants using our safe search engine that provides relevant, age-appropriate websites. Poisonous Plants also features reading tips for teachers and parents, a table of contents, a glossary, and an index. Poisonous Plants is part of Jump!'s Plant Power series.

If people knew how many poisonous plants are commonly found in homes and gardens, they'd be shocked. Plants as common as monkshood, castorbean, and oleander are not just dangerous, they're deadly. The North American Guide to Common Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms is a comprehensive, easy-to-use handbook. The book is split into four main categories: mushrooms, wild plants, ornamental and crop plants, and houseplants. Each plant entry includes a clear photograph to aid the task of identification, a description of the plant, notes on where they commonly occur, and a description of their toxic properties. Plants are listed by common name to assist the non-specialist.

Even though plants may look innocent, some species contain deadly toxins that can kill tiny insects, large animals, and even unsuspecting people. This volume explores the deadly plants among us, and equips readers with the tools they need to identify them. Through an examination of several poisonous plant species, this text explores important science concepts such as plant survival and adaptations, life cycles, and ecosystems. By the end of this text, readers will learn why poison is a successful and essential plant defense.

This third edition of the Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants is designed to assist the clinician in the initial response to the needs of a child or adult exposed to a poisonous or injurious plant. It highlights common and important plants that lead to the adverse effects upon exposure, and it describes the mechanisms of action of the implicated toxin, clinical manifestations, and specific therapeutics, as available, for each. This truly comprehensive resource is botanically rigorous with insights from both the pharmacognosy and medical literature. At the same time, it is also for those who are interested in growing and enjoying the plants in their environment, filling in a not-often-discussed botanical and horticultural niche that goes beyond their beautiful physical appearance. Plants contain many useful chemicals that humans have used for millennia as botanical curatives. This book will help the reader understand the fine balance between a medication and a poison, why plants contain these natural substances, and their impact on the human body. With its thorough references and full-color photos of hundreds of potentially toxic and injurious plants inside and outside the home, this book is useful for identifying and addressing concerns about cultivated species and those found in the wild. This book will be of interest to botanists, horticulturists, clinicians, and naturalists as well as hikers, gardeners, and all those who simply enjoy the wonders of nature and the great outdoors.

"The majority covered here originate in temperate zones, and the text comprehensively identifies potentially dangerous plants, their distribution, level of toxicity, symptoms of poisoning and suggested treatment. Illustrations range from actual size colour and black/white photos to enlarged representations of microscopically recognizable features in fruits and leaves." --Cover.