Plants are not always synonymous with safety and utility. Behind\ntheir attractive forms, some types of plants harbour toxic substances\nthat can endanger humans if touched, inhaled, or ingested.<\/p>\n
These toxins are part of the plant\u2019s defence mechanism against\nenvironmental threats. The impacts cannot be taken lightly, ranging from\ncausing irritation and nervous system disturbances, triggering\nhallucinations and heart problems, to resulting in death.<\/p>\n
Discover Wildlife and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) have\nnoted several plants classified as the most dangerous in the world. Some\nof these are known to grow or are cultivated in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Here are some toxic plants that are particularly relevant to\nIndonesia:<\/p>\n
This plant is known by the nickname \u2018suicide tree\u2019. Its seeds contain\ncerberin, a compound that can interfere with heart function and, in\nsevere cases, cause cardiac arrest. Discover Wildlife lists it as one of\nthe most deadly plants in the world. This plant is highly relevant to\nIndonesia; Kew Science notes that Cerbera odollam grows naturally in\nJava, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Its appearance is quite attractive. This plant produces red seeds\nwith black tips that are often used as ornaments. However, its seeds\ncontain abrin, an extremely potent toxin. If the seeds are damaged or\nchewed and the toxin enters the body, poisoning can trigger nausea,\nvomiting, convulsions, organ damage, and even death.<\/p>\n
Oleander is known as an ornamental plant with striking pink flowers.\nHowever, behind its appearance, this plant contains cardiac glycosides\nthat can disrupt heart rhythm and function if swallowed. While not\nnative to Indonesia, it has been introduced and grows in several\nregions, including Java and the Lesser Sunda Islands.<\/p>\n
Datura sp. is a shrub from the Solanaceae family with trumpet-shaped\nwhite or purple flowers and round, thorny fruit. This plant is widely\nfound in tropical regions, including Indonesia, and is often used as an\nornamental plant due to its distinctive floral shape. Datura is also\nknown in traditional medicine for various ailments such as bruises,\ntoothaches, fever, rheumatism, gout, and asthma. However, it contains\ntoxic compounds that can affect the nervous system and trigger\nhallucinations, heart palpitations, convulsions, and even\nlife-threatening conditions if consumed or misused.<\/p>\n
Tobacco may be the most well-known plant on this list. All parts of\nthe plant contain alkaloids, particularly nicotine and anabasine, with\nhigh concentrations in the leaves. Discover Wildlife notes that tobacco\ncan be toxic if consumed directly. The RHS also highlights the much\nlarger impact of tobacco products, which globally cause millions of\ndeaths every year due to cigarette consumption and smoke exposure. This\nplant has long been commercially cultivated in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The inclusion of maize in this list of dangerous plants may sound\nsurprising. However, maize is not toxic in the same way as Datura or\nOleander. The RHS includes maize because long-term consumption of maize\nas a staple food without processing that allows the body to absorb\nvitamin B3 (niacin) can cause pellagra. This condition can trigger\ndermatitis, diarrhoea, neurological disorders, and even death if left\nuntreated. This risk primarily arises if maize dominates the diet and\nniacin intake from other sources is very low. Therefore, consuming maize\nin a normal and balanced diet is not inherently dangerous. Maize is\nwidely distributed, including in Java, Sumatra, Maluku, and the Lesser\nSunda Islands.<\/p>\n
Maize stored in humid conditions can also be contaminated by fungi\nthat produce mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin and fumonisin, which\nrepresents one of the most serious risks because these toxins are not\nalways visible on the maize. If maize is mouldy, discoloured, smells\nstrange, or is rotting, it should not be eaten, as the cooking process\ndoes not always eliminate all mycotoxins. Meanwhile, raw maize is not\nnecessarily toxic, but it is harder to digest and potentially carries\nmicrobial contamination if not handled properly.<\/p>\n
Toxic, Yet Still Possessing Economic Value<\/p>\n
Interestingly, being toxic does not mean these plants lack economic\nvalue. In fact, some plants on this list are important commodities.\nTobacco is the clearest example; Nicotiana tabacum is the primary\ncommercial tobacco species widely cultivated in many countries,\nincluding Indonesia. Maize has an even greater economic value as it\nserves as food, animal feed, and an industrial raw material. Oleander\nalso holds value as an ornamental plant, while the rosary pea has been\nused for ornaments and jewellery due to its attractive seeds, despite\nthe risks posed by its toxicity.<\/p>\n
This means that a plant\u2019s status as a toxic species does not\nautomatically render it useless. The difference lies in how the plant is\nutilised and which parts pose a danger. The toxins that serve as a\nnatural defence mechanism can coexist with economic, food, or ornamental\nvalue.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/who-would-have-thought-maize-could-be-deadly-including-these-5-plants-1789804301", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }