Many people like to spend the weekend in nature, walking in the forest, picking mushrooms, berries and herbs. However, if we are often warned about mushrooms and informed about dangerous species, then with berries everything is more difficult. At first glance, beautiful bright fruits seem harmless, and it is very difficult to understand which ones are poisonous. For example, in our forests, a common wolfberry, which can cause not only food poisoning, but also lead to death. Therefore, it would be useful to learn more about this forest plant, its positive and negative qualities.
What is a wolfberry - why is it called that
The popular name "wolf berry" combines a large number of berry bushes and herbaceous plants with black, white, red fruits, orange color. These plants got their name not because they are food for wolves. Just before it was believed that the wolf personifies evil, deceit, meanness, death, and the wolfberry looks harmless, but in fact it has a harmful toxic effect.
Description of poisonous shrubs and plants - fruit color, photo
Throughout the summer, many useful wild berries ripen: strawberries, currants, blueberries, raspberries, lingonberries, bird cherry. Just do not forget that poisonous berries grow next to them, causing acute poisoning. Even if there are not so many of them, everyone needs to know what they look like, especially if you take children into nature. Scroll poisonous fruit are:
- belladonna;
- May lily of the valley;
- Boxthorn;
- bittersweet nightshade;
- honeysuckle;
- daphne;
- girlish grapes;
- raven eye;
- calla;
- buckthorn is fragile;
- snowberry.
Wolf's bast or wolfberry - what it looks like
Daphne (wolfberry) - decorative evergreen shrub, the maximum height of which reaches 150 centimeters. The stems of the plant are straight, covered with gray bark, slightly branched. The leaves are oblong, alternate, held on short petioles, have a smooth and hard surface. In spring, the plant is covered with beautiful tubular flowers with four petals. The color of the buds varies from light pink, white to bright pink. By autumn, the flowers ripen into oval, rich red (sometimes yellow) fruits, appearance reminiscent of barberry.
All parts of the shrub (bark, stem, flowers, berries, leaves) have a toxic property. For example, the wet bark of a plant, leaning against the skin, causes severe irritation and pain. When a few drops of wolfberry juice get in, a burn occurs, which is characterized by redness, the appearance of blisters and sores. Berries are considered deadly, 5 pieces of fruit are enough to cause severe poisoning.
Signs of poisoning with the fruits of wolf bast are:
- profuse salivation and problematic swallowing;
- pain in the intestines, accompanied by vomiting with blood impurities;
- burning sensation on the mucous membrane of the oropharynx and mouth;
- diarrhea;
- irritation of the conjunctiva of the eye;
- convulsions, weakness, fainting.
raven eye
This is a perennial small plant, no more than 40 cm high. Crow's eye or cross-grass has a long branched root shoot, a straight and smooth stem, crowned with a rosette of four (rarely five) leaves. The shape of the leaves of the crow's eye is oval or ovoid, pointed at the ends. The leaf arrangement is cruciform. In the center of the pedicel, a greenish-yellow flower blooms in spring. In late July - early August, a round blue-black berry, up to 1 cm in diameter, is formed from the flower, covered with a mucous coating.
A plant with a "crow" berry is often found in coniferous and deciduous forests, where there is shady place and lots of moisture. The composition of the plant and its berries includes a deadly poisonous substance- saponin paristifin. Lethal outcome entails a dose of 10 berries. When poisoning with the fruits of the crow's eye, the following symptoms are observed:
- sore throat;
- burning sensation in the mouth;
- nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain;
- dizziness, significant dilation of the pupils;
- strong headache;
- diarrhea;
- interruptions in the heart rhythm;
- heart failure;
- convulsions;
- cessation of breathing, paralysis of the respiratory center.
Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle is a creeping, upright, climbing shrub representing the genus Honeysuckle. The plant can have a height of 60 to 120 centimeters, and some varieties grow up to 5 meters. The length of the leaves of honeysuckle is 2-3 centimeters, located on the office petioles, they are oblong, have a bright shade, below - pale. Honeysuckle flowers, like berries, can be varied - white, yellow, blue, pink. The plant blooms in the second half of May.
In the middle of summer, honeysuckle bears fruit. Berries have different shape, color and taste. There are varieties of fruits sweet, sour, sweet and sour, with bitterness, pineapple or strawberry flavor. Fruit color - dark blue, red, black, orange. The shape of the berry is spherical or oval. The plant is found in forests, it is grown in nurseries, used in summer cottages, vegetable gardens. Not all varieties of honeysuckle berries can be eaten, some of them are poisonous. hallmark edible fruits is the color. They eat only oblong blue and black berries.
Dereza vulgaris (goji) - Chinese berry for weight loss
Goji is a non-poisonous plant native to China, and its berries have beneficial properties and are widely used in medicine. The fruits of common wolfberry are very similar to barberry, have the same shape and color. The berry contains a huge amount useful substances, such as:
- minerals (21 items);
- amino acids;
- fruits contain B vitamins and a lot of vitamin C;
- beta carotene;
- polysaccharides;
- iron;
- calcium;
- phosphorus;
- monosaccharides;
- selenium.
Chinese doctors recommend using goji berries as a multivitamin food supplement. It is believed that wolfberry fruits slow down the aging process, can help in the fight against diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and cancer. Goji berries are added by Chinese nutritionists to the diet for weight loss, as they:
- Promote the production of growth hormone, due to which the body burns fat.
- The berry contains a small amount of carbohydrates and has a low calorie content, therefore it is allowed while following the Dukan diet.
- Dereza fruits prevent the appearance of harmful free radicals, thereby alleviating the stress endured by the body during the diet.
- Fatty acids in the composition of the berry contribute to the acceleration of metabolism, remove toxins.
- The use of wolfberries improves eyesight.
- Helps to eliminate violations of the diuretic system.
It is impossible to guarantee one hundred percent weight loss when eating goji berries. The rate of weight loss depends not only on the fruits, but also on the chosen diet, diet, menu, individual features organism. On average, when eating berries, 1-2 kilograms per week are lost. During the diet, in parallel with berries, only healthy food, reduce or completely abandon flour products. affect the rate of weight loss physical exercise and regular long walks fresh air. Dereza fruits are brewed as tea, added to cereals.
Useful properties of wolfberry and its application
Wolfberry actively used in medicine for the treatment of diseases:
- hearts;
- nervous system;
- kidneys;
- liver;
- immune system;
- eye;
- joints;
- intestinal tract.
From wolfberries to traditional medicine decoctions and tinctures are prepared, which are then used to treat pneumonia, bronchitis, laryngitis, sciatica, paralysis, tonsillitis, tinnitus, and cardiovascular diseases. healing property, as well as toxic, is completely possessed by the whole plant (fruits, root, juice, leaves, stem), which is harvested only in dry weather. Because of the toxicity of official medicine, wolfberries are not used. Fruits are added to homeopathic medications for the treatment of skin diseases.
- For the treatment of constipation, not berries are actively used, but the bark of the wolfberry plant. To do this, take dry bark (30 gr.), Finely chop. Pour the resulting mixture with 200 grams of 30% alcohol, let it brew for 10 days. Take tincture 1 teaspoon once a day.
- At hyperacidity gastritis use dereza leaves. Take 10 grams of dried leaves of oregano, plantain, nettle, wolfberry, add half a glass of water, boil for 10 minutes. Ready herbal tincture to drink three times a day after meals, 70 ml.
What to do with symptoms of poisoning by a poisonous plant
If you do not help a person who has been poisoned by wolf berries in time, a fatal outcome is inevitable. The poisonous properties of the plant and its fruits spread throughout the body very quickly. With symptoms of poisoning with berries of any poisonous plant, you should urgently call ambulance or take the victim to the nearest hospital. While waiting for the doctor, do the following:
- Try to free your stomach from poisonous berries. Induce vomiting. Do a gastric lavage from the fruit: let the victim drink plenty of water (1-3 liters) with the addition of activated charcoal (4 tablespoons per liter) or potassium permanganate, induce vomiting again so that the remains of the fruit come out. Do the procedure several times.
- If there are medicines, give the patient any cardiac and laxative, because the toxic effect of the fruits of the plant causes cardiac arrest, desiccation of the body and shock.
- When a person has convulsions, after eating the fruits of a poisonous plant, use chloral hydrate or milk, a starch solution.
- After emergency care from poisoning with berries or a plant, put the victim to bed, wrap him in a blanket, cover him with warm heating pads and wait for the doctor.
Bittersweet nightshade is a semi-shrub with a curly long stem (up to 2 m, and more in favorable conditions), with a woody base.
Leaves are ovate-pointed.
The flowers are purple, in drooping racemes.
Blooms from late May to September.
The fruits are red bittersweet poisonous berries, ripen in June - October.
Distribution of nightshade red
Red nightshade is widespread in the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus, in Siberia and in the Far East along the banks of reservoirs, damp places, among shrubs. Often found in settlements, on the outskirts of villages, on the borders of vegetable gardens, on garbage heaps. Often bittersweet nightshade is grown on household plots, as a decorative vine.
The poisonous parts of nightshade
Poisonous in nightshade are leaves, stem and fruits. As it matures poisonous properties berries of bittersweet nightshade, unlike black nightshade, do not disappear, since in addition to the poisonous glycoalkaloid solanine, which disappears when the berries ripen, there are also other toxic substances, in particular solidulcin and dulcamarin.
Symptoms of poisoning
Symptoms of poisoning with bittersweet nightshade are the same as when poisoning with other plants containing solanine and similar glycoalkaloids - abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, inhibition of motor and mental activity, shortness of breath, cardiovascular insufficiency. First aid - gastric lavage.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - nightshade red
Belladonna
It is also known under the names belladonna, rubella, sleepy dope, mad berry, wild cherry (Atropa belladonna) - a plant of the nightshade family. perennial herbaceous plant 1-2 m high with an erect thick green or purple-colored stem, forked-branched at the top.
The leaves are petiolate, broadly lanceolate, alternate, but in pairs close together, and one is always much larger than the others.
Belladonna flowers are solitary, drooping, emerging from the axils of the upper leaves, bell-shaped, dirty purple (sometimes yellow) in color.
Blooms from June to late autumn.
The fruit is a shiny black-blue poisonous berry, flattened-spherical, juicy, sweet-sour, the size of a cherry.
Spread of belladonna
Belladonna is widespread in the Crimea, the Caucasus, and the Carpathians. Occurs in clearings, edges, shady glades.
Toxic Parts of Belladonna
All parts of the plant are poisonous. Poisoning occurs more often in children who are attracted to the poisonous berries of belladonna resembling cherries or grapes (even 2-3 of its berries can cause severe poisoning in a child). They, as well as other parts of the plant, contain such very poisonous alkaloids as atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine, etc.
Symptoms of poisoning
Signs of poisoning appear after 10-20 minutes. In case of mild poisoning, dryness and burning in the mouth and throat, difficulty in swallowing and speaking, palpitations. The voice becomes hoarse. The pupils are dilated and do not react to light. Violated near vision. Photophobia, flashing flies before the eyes. Dryness and redness of the skin. Excitation, sometimes delirium and hallucinations. In severe poisoning, complete loss of orientation, sudden motor and mental excitement, sometimes convulsions.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - belladonna
Calla (calla) marsh
Marsh calla is a juicy, thick-rhizome, creeping hydrophyte (a plant that grows halfway in water) 20-40 cm high with large shiny round-heart-shaped leaves (15-20 cm) on long petioles. The cob-shaped inflorescence is surrounded by a white (green on the reverse side), leaf-like veil.
The fruits are juicy red poisonous berries, collected in clusters.
Blossoms in May, June, fruits ripen from the end of June.
Calla spread
The marsh calla is widespread throughout Russia in swamps and marshy shores of reservoirs.
Toxic Parts of the Calla
The whole plant is poisonous, especially poisonous berries and rhizomes. Calla contains pungent saponin-like compounds, as well as volatiles type of aroin with irritant properties.
Symptoms of calla poisoning
Nausea, vomiting, salivation, diarrhea, shortness of breath, tachycardia, convulsions. First aid - gastric lavage and laxatives.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - marsh calla
Euonymus
Euonymus is deciduous shrub(sometimes small tree) 3-4 meters tall, with "classic" elongated leaves, greenish small inconspicuous flowers.
Euonymus blooms in May-June. The fruits fully ripen in September-October.
The fruits are beautiful bright pink quadruple capsules containing usually black seeds inside, covered (sometimes not completely) with fleshy orange or red pulp. As they mature, the boxes open.
Distribution of Euonymus
Euonymus is found in the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus, some species grow in the Far East (up to Eastern Siberia), Sakhalin, Kurilakh.
Poison Parts of Euonymus
Everything about the euonymus is poisonous - roots, bark, leaves, but the most dangerous are poisonous berries, which attract with their bright appearance.
Symptoms of poisoning with Euonymus
The use of poisonous spindle berries in food causes vomiting and diarrhea, large doses of berries can provoke intestinal bleeding.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - euonymus
Privet (Wolf Berries)
Privet is a genus of rather heat-loving shrubs of the olive family. Common privet is a deciduous shrub up to 5 meters high.
The leaves are simple, opposite. The inflorescences are white, similar to lilac flowers, also collected in panicles.
The fruit is a black berry. Privet blooms in May-July, after the appearance of leaves on it. Privet
The berries are poisonous, ripen in September-October and do not fall off for a long time.
Distribution of Privet
Within the territory of former USSR in natural form Common privet is found. The halo of its distribution is the southwestern part of Russia, the Caucasus, Ukraine and Moldova.
Poison Parts of Privet
The leaves and berries of the plant are poisonous. The leaves are unlikely to be eaten by anyone, but the berries are quite similar to bird cherry.
Symptoms of Privet Poisoning
After eating poisonous privet berries, diarrhea, colic, weakness, loss of coordination, convulsions occur in 1-2 hours, in severe cases death is possible.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - privet
Elder herb (stinky)
Elder grass is a herbaceous perennial of the honeysuckle family with bad smell, with a thick creeping rhizome, thick furrowed (sometimes sparsely pubescent) stem 60-170 cm high.
Leaves with stipules, large (17-25 cm), pinnate of 7-11 pointed leaflets, pubescent along the veins.
The inflorescence of the herbal elderberry is an umbrella-shaped panicle. The flowers are small, inconspicuous, white or reddish. The herbal elder blossoms in May - June.
Herbal elder fruits are black small berry-like drupes with 3-4 seeds and red juice. The herbaceous elder bears fruit in August-September.
Propagation elderberry herbal
The elder grass is widespread in the southern part of Russia in the foothills and mountains, along the edges of forests and subalpine meadows. Often found as a weed.
Poison parts of Elder herb
Elderberry herbal leaves and flowers are poisonous. The unripe berries of elderberry are especially poisonous.
Symptoms of elderberry poisoning
The main symptoms of poisoning poisonous berries elderberry herbal - dizziness, headache, weakness, sore throat, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting. characteristic staining of mucous membranes Blue colour as a result of the accumulation of oxyhemoglobin in the venous blood. Tachycardia is replaced in the later stages by bradycardia. There is shortness of breath with a delay in expiration, convulsions are possible. Death occurs from respiratory arrest due to acute heart failure.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - herbal elderberry
wolfberry, daphne
Daphne - a low shrub is called in the people wolf's bast or wolfberry. In April, branches of Daphne, a meter and a half tall, are almost entirely strewn with bunches of bright pink flowers, very similar to the color of lilacs. From flowering plants, a delicate peculiar aroma spreads. Daphne leaves are narrow, dark green. Poisonous berries - oval, first green, then red, ripen in late July-August.
Spread of Wolfberry
Wolfberry grows in the north of the European part of Russia, Western and Eastern Siberia, in the Caucasus. Prefers coniferous and mixed forests. It also occurs in deciduous forests.
Poison Parts of Wolfberry
Wolfberry flowers are poisonous. When Daphne pollen is inhaled, irritation of the mucous membranes of the nose and respiratory tract is observed. Not only flowers are poisonous, but the whole plant. No wonder one of the names of Daphne is the deadly wolfberry.
The bark of the wolf's bast is unusually bitter in taste and, when ingested, causes a burning sensation and scratching. Subsequently, blisters and ulcers form on the mucous membranes. Touching the wet bark of daphne, wolfberry to the skin can lead to the formation of ulcers.
No less burning juice from the leaves and poisonous berries of the wolf's bast. It is extremely dangerous to get wolfberry juice into the eyes. This threatens with the formation of difficult-to-heal ulcers of the cornea.
Symptoms of Wolf's Bark Poisoning
After eating poisonous berries, there is a burning sensation in the mouth, pain in the stomach, nausea, vomiting, weakness, convulsions are possible. But the wolf's bast contains not only meserein, which strongly irritates the skin and mucous membranes, but also other toxic substances, in particular several types of coumarins, which cause increased bleeding.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - wolfberry
Voronets spike-shaped black or Actaea spike-shaped
Voronets spiky is a perennial poisonous herbaceous plant up to 80 cm high, with a thin branched stem, with large, on long petioles, twice and thrice pinnate leaves. The edges of the leaves are coarsely serrated.
The flowers are white or cream, small, collected in a fluffy panicle.
The berries are green at first, black when ripe, glossy, large, oval-cylindrical with a clearly visible trace of perianth. The berries are collected in a brush.
Distribution of Voronets spike-shaped black
Voronets spike-shaped black grows in the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus, in Western Siberia, in Altai, but is quite rare. Prefers shady damp places in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests. Usually grows in thickets of bushes and trees. Black spike-shaped crow does not like open spaces. Blossoms in May-June, berries ripen in July-August.
Poisonous parts of Voronets spiky
The whole plant is highly poisonous. Especially poisonous are the berries of the black voronets.
Symptoms of poisoning with Voronets spike-shaped
The juice of the plant irritates the human skin, up to the formation of blisters. And even a small amount of the pulp of a poisonous berry is enough to cause the strongest disorder. gastrointestinal tract.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - black crow
Voronet krasnoplodny (red; spiked red)
Voronets red-fruited is a perennial herbaceous plant. The stems are thin, up to 70 cm high.
The leaves are usually thrice pinnate, with serrated margins. In appearance, the red-fruited corow is very similar to the spike-shaped corow, but differs from it, first of all, in the color of the fruit, slightly smaller berries, and also in the lighter color of the leaves.
The flowers are small, white, collected in a vertical brush-panicle.
The berries of the black crow are oblong-oval, medium in size, green at first, turn white as they ripen, and then turn red. Located on a vertical brush.
Distribution of Voronets krasnoplodny
Voronets krasnoplodny grows in coniferous and mixed forests, in the Far East, in Siberia and in the north of the European part of Russia.
Poisonous parts of Voronets krasnoplodny
All parts of the plant are poisonous. The most toxic are the berries of the black crow. Eating just two poisonous berries for a child can end tragically. But accidental poisoning with the berries of the red crow is hardly possible, since the plant has an unpleasant odor, and the berries are very bitter.
Symptoms of poisoning
Signs of poisoning with the berries of the red crow - nausea, dizziness, increased heart rate, severe upset of the gastrointestinal tract.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - Red Voronets
raven eye
raven eye - perennial very characteristic look. A low stem framed by spreading, usually four (rarely, as in the photo, five) wide leaves, ends with one single nondescript greenish flower that blooms in July-June. Then the raven eye turns the flower into a single berry, turning black by autumn. The raven eye is also known under the name of cross-grass.
Spreading the Crow's Eye
The raven eye grows in shady, damp places of coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests, throughout the temperate zone of Russia from Europe to Far East. The raven eye is considered medicinal plant, but it’s better not to collect and use it on your own, since the raven eye is poisonous plant.
Poison parts of the Crow's Eye
The crow's eye berry, like other parts of the plant, is poisonous. The plant contains saponins and cardiac glycosides.
Symptoms of Crow's Eye Poisoning
Poisoning with poisonous berries or other parts of the crow's eye causes irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, a sharp drop in heart rate to 60-40 beats per minute or less, heart rhythm disturbances, ventricular flutter and cardiac arrest.
Poisonous berries picture, photo - Lily of the valley
First aid for berry poisoning
- Never pick or taste berries that you do not know.
- If you came to the forest with a child, then do not leave him unattended for a minute. Watch what berries he eats.
- If you come to an area unknown to you and the nature there is not entirely familiar to you, be sure to inquire with local residents, read the literature, browse the Internet and find out what poisonous plants are typical for the area.
- Poisonous berries are actually dangerous only for those who do not know them "by sight".
If symptoms of poisoning occur, such as fever, diarrhea, vomiting, convulsions, etc., seek immediate medical attention. medical care. While the doctor will go to you, do not sit idly by. After all, sometimes the arrival of an ambulance can be delayed for more than one hour.
The most first aid for poisoning with poisonous berries consists in stimulating vomiting - this procedure will free the stomach from poisonous contents. To do this, the victim needs to be given 2-4 glasses of water (you can add Activated carbon- 2 tablespoons per 500 ml, salt - 1 tsp. 500 ml or potassium permanganate). In case of poisoning with poisonous berries, the procedure will have to be carried out several times. From medicines it is recommended to give the patient activated charcoal, tannin, as well as any laxative and cardiac remedy. In the presence of seizures will have to use chloral hydrate. If there is no first aid kit, you can give the patient black crackers, starch solution or milk. It does not hurt to also do an enema (if possible). A victim of poisoning with poisonous berries should be wrapped warmly and taken to a doctor.
Earlier on the topic:
At the beginning of the development of the summer cottage, when there was nothing on it yet, we planted a bush brought from the forest. We liked it for its decorative effect: it blooms early, when the snow has not yet melted, the flowers are bright lilac color, leaves beautiful shape bright green. And at the end of summer, red berries appear on it. Planted and rejoice for many years. And they didn’t even bother to find out better what we are growing. True, a neighbor warned us that the plant is poisonous. And today, in one of the posts, I saw our joy and finally recognized her name.))
Why is the wolf's bast considered one of the most poisonous plants found in our country?
AT spruce forest wolf's bast bush bloomed with small pinkish flowers. Flowers sit right on the trunk and on the branches, as if attached to them.
How pleasing to the eye are these unpretentious flowers, how they smell good, fresh and gentle, just like spring!
Now there are no leaves on the branches of the wolf's bark yet, they will appear later, when the plant fades. The leaves of the wolf's bast are oblong, slightly pointed towards the end. These leaves grow in bunches at the ends of the branches. And below them, bright red berries the size of a pea appear on the branches by autumn.
G. Skrebitsky.*
The shrub grows in dense forests, thickets, blooms in March-April, the berries ripen in June-July. All parts of the plant (fresh and dried) are very poisonous, especially bast (wood fibers) and berries. Poisoning can occur upon contact with the plant, especially with its bark. The toxic component of the wolf's bark has a sharp, burning taste and is highly irritating.
In children, ingestion of 1-2 berries can cause severe poisoning, which very often ends in death!
Poison that enters the human body through the skin or digestive tract causes severe inflammation of the skin and mucous membranes, eventually affecting the central nervous system, circulatory system and kidneys.
Upon contact with the skin, symptoms of its inflammation appear: redness, swelling, vesicles on the skin, in severe cases - suppuration. The mucous membrane of the digestive tract and conjunctiva reacts in a similar way. In case of oral poisoning, the inflammatory process begins in the oral cavity and spreads to other parts of the digestive tract (stomach and intestines). There are pain in the mouth and stomach, salivation, thirst, swallowing disorders, nausea, vomiting, crampy pain in the abdomen and diarrhea, sometimes with an admixture of blood. General symptoms: headache and dizziness, agitation, fever, increased heart activity, weakness, shortness of breath, convulsions in children, difficulty urinating, hematuria, circulatory failure, resulting in death.
First aid - wash the affected skin, conjunctiva and mouth with water. Give the patient milk and/or protein chicken eggs and then transported to a hospital immediately.
What does a wolf's bast look like?
This shrub is not higher than one meter. However, if the shrub is grown, creating favorable conditions for it, then it can grow up to 2.5 meters in height (for example, a wolf bast shrub in a garden or park). In the spring, the stems of the shrub are bare, and pink fragrant flowers bloom on the branches, located in the axils of the leaves that fell last year. Each sinus consists of three flowers.
The trunk with branches is gray-brown in color. Leaves are ovate. The fruit of the plant is light red in color, the shape is also ovoid.
From February to the end of March, this plant blooms beautifully, and on the territory of Russia, the flowering period is April-May.
The plant grows in poorly lit places, on soil with large quantity nutrient elements. You can meet a wolf's bast in the floodplain forest or on the edges of the forest.
According to legend, somehow the wolf was late for the council of animals. It can be seen running among the trees, in search of dinner. And the council at that time gave the plants names, and therefore not one of the plants was named after the wolf. The wolf was so angry that, out of vexation, he pounced on a bush standing nearby and began to rip off the bark from it with claws and teeth. Animals, wanting to calm the raging predator, named the plant wolf's bast in honor of him.
Medicinal properties of wolf's bast
The plant contains poisonous substances in all its parts: meserine resin (which causes indigestion. And blisters and redness appear on the skin) and daphrin glycoside (leads to rapid bleeding). In the bark of the plant, the content of resins, waxes of coloring substances and wax was found. Fruits are a source of bitter and coloring substances, fat, coccognin and essential oil.
Given the fact that this is a poisonous plant, you can take it only after the permission of the doctor. Wolf bast preparations have antiepileptic, analgesic, laxative and hypnotic properties on the human body.
The use of the wolf's bark
Let me remind you once again that wolf bast preparations should be taken in homeopathic doses, and only when your doctor gives permission for this. It is necessary to take preparations of this plant carefully and not hastily. Externally, an infusion of this plant is used for radiculitis, neuralgia, tumors, sciatica. This remedy had irritating and blistering properties. In some cases, a tincture or decoction is used for sore throat, dysentery, jaundice, and even a cold.
In the presence of a toothache, the wolf's bast has an analgesic property.
A decoction of a wolf's bark.
It is necessary to take 2 grams of plant flowers and pour 20 ml of boiling water over them. We put on fire for 20 minutes. Having removed the broth from the fire, it must immediately be filtered, and the raw materials must be squeezed out. The resulting volume must be brought to 250 ml with boiling water. take this decoction 5 drops three times a day.
Wolf bark powder.
This medicine relieves a person of toothache. It is very easy to make it yourself, because for this you only need to collect the flowers of the plant and grind them into powder. Next, take this powder and rub it on the sore spot. After that, you need to rinse the genus with warm boiled water.
Decoction-hypnotic wolf bast.
4 grams of plant roots poured with a glass of boiling water, you need to put for 30 minutes on water bath. After a quarter of an hour the broth is infused, it must be filtered. Take a decoction before meals, 1 teaspoon twice a day.
Tincture of wolf's bast fruit.
Take half a glass of 70% alcohol and fill it with 1 gram of the fruit of the plant (you can bark). Leave for 7 days for infusion. Strain with gauze. It is recommended to take this tincture before meals three times a day. Before you take this tincture you need to dilute. For example, put 2 drops of wine in a spoonful of water.
Wolf poisoning
All parts of the plant contain poison, so it is enough for a person to eat 3-5 berries of the plant and he will die.
Signs of poisoning are as follows:
Abdominal pain;
Urine with blood;
Salivation.
The death of a person can occur in case of cardiac arrest.
Measures for poisoning.
The first step is to wash the stomach, and then enter vaseline oil. In no case should a laxative be used for poisoning with this plant. The main goal is to eliminate irritation of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract, for which it is necessary to allow the victim to hold pieces of ice in his mouth, lubricate the mucous membranes with dikaip, and the poisoned person must take anestezin inside.
Be careful, do not stop near the wolf's bark, pass by!
Wolf tincture
To prepare it, take 10 grams of plant bark (crushed) and pour half a glass of alcohol (70%). Leave to brew for 2 weeks dark room. You need to take the tincture three times a day, 1 drop, but every day the dose should be increased by 1 drop. When a single dose is 30 drops, start the countdown in the reverse position, that is, reduce the dose by 1 drop. Before taking, dilute the tincture with 100 ml of water. The course of such treatment is 60 days. After taking a break for 14 days, you can resume the course, or take another poison.
Wolf bark contraindications
Since the wolf's bast is a very poisonous plant, it must be used strictly observing the dose. Children are strictly forbidden to use wolf bast preparations.
Read about other poisonous plants here:
*thanks heartily to PaniPolak for this quote.
Deadly wolfberry, Wolf's bast, Wolf berries, Common wolfberry, Plokhovets, Pukhlyak - all these are the names of one plant - wolfberry(Daphne mezereum), belonging to the Volchnikov family (Thymelaeaceae).
The common wolfberry is found almost throughout Europe, in the Transcaucasus. In Russia, it grows throughout the forest zone of the European part and Western Siberia, in the North Caucasus, in Dagestan.
We have known since childhood that the Wolf's Bast plant is poisonous. It was even called specifically "Wolf Berries" so that, God forbid, the children would not get poisoned. They weren't even allowed to come close to him.
The common wolfberry is a low-branched deciduous shrub up to 1.5 meters tall. root system wolfberry superficial. The yellowish gray, slightly wrinkled bark will help you identify the shrub. AT middle lane Russian wolfberry blooms in early spring, before all shrubs.
Wolfberry leaves are narrow, oblong, oblanceolate, simple, grow alternately at the ends of the shoots. They are dark green in color, smooth on top, slightly glossy, bluish below, ciliated at the edges, up to 8 cm long and up to 2 cm wide.
Bright pink fragrant honey-bearing flowers of the wolf's bast are arranged in a "bouquet" of 3-5 pieces in the axils of last year's fallen leaves.
Very interesting going on pollination of the wolfberry. Its flowers have a pronounced protogyny - more early ripening female reproductive organs compared to male.
The bright flowers of the common wolfberry appear in the forest before the leaves of the trees bloom. Insect pollinators - bees, butterflies - are attracted by nectar that stands out at the base of the ovary.
When an insect's proboscis penetrates the perianth tube, the pollen from the anthers surrounding the tube does not stick to it, as it is not sticky. Further, the proboscis of the bee touches the stigma, located much lower, and, finally, the nectaries. From the nectar, the proboscis becomes sticky, and when the insect pulls it out, it again comes into contact with the anthers. This time, the pollen sticks to the proboscis and is thus transferred to another flower.
After such fertilization, a fruit is formed in place of the flowers - a juicy ovoid red berry-drupe up to 8 mm long. The fruits of the common wolfberry ripen in late July - early August. Inside the berry is a shiny stone up to 4 mm in diameter.
Wolfberry is occasionally planted in gardens as ornamental plant, noteworthy early flowering spring and bright fruits in autumn. But because of the poisonousness of the plant, its use for decorative purposes is limited.
All parts of the common wolfberry, and especially the fruits, contain a sharply burning poison juice . The use of the plant for medicinal purposes is prohibited.
Poisoning can occur when eating berries (often by children), chewing the bark. When the skin comes into contact with wet bark or when plant juice gets on it, severe dermatitis occurs. Inhalation of dust from the bark of the wolfberry causes irritation of the mucous membranes of the pharynx and respiratory tract, contact with the eyes irritates the conjunctiva. After eating the berries, there is a burning sensation in the mouth, pain in the epigastric region, nausea, vomiting, weakness, convulsions are possible.
When writing the article, materials were used https://ru.wikipedia.org
Image source https://www.flickr.com: Hornet Arts, C. E. Timothy Paine, naturgucker.de / enjoynature.net
Wolfberry has been known to almost everyone since childhood, especially those who grew up or often visited the countryside. Wolf's eye or wolfberry looks like a currant - the fruits are small, round in shape. The berries themselves are red or black, depending on the type of plant. Now there is a huge hype around useful berry goji, which is used for a variety of purposes - treatment, weight loss, strengthening immunity. Wolfberry and goji have nothing in common, they are confused due to similar names - wolfberry (goji), a shrub originally from China, we know it under the name "common dereza", so you can not confuse it with a wolfberry.
Wolfberry - what is it
Why is the wolfberry so called? Everything is very simple, the name did not come from the fact that wolves or other forest animals feed on this bush. It’s just that the name has come from the old times, when the designation “wolf” meant everything evil, dangerous and harmful. Thus, everyone has known about the dangers of these berries for a very long time.
Wolfberry grows everywhere, found in the forests of America, as well as throughout Europe. Very common in central Russia, the Caucasus and Siberia. What does a wolfberry look like? Its description and properties can be found in any school biology textbook. The bush blooms very beautifully, the smell is intoxicating. By the way, thrushes love to feast on these berries. It is this bird that is the main seed carrier.
Privet is a small shrub on which round and small berries ripen. The shrub in the spring blooms very violently and beautifully, thanks to its small sizes(up to 5 m) is successfully used in landscape design. By autumn, the fruits ripen, and this is the mistake of many - they begin to be collected and used for food, to prepare teas and infusions. It is absolutely impossible to do this, because berries are poisonous and can cause not only poisoning, but also lead to death. Therefore, if you are interested in the question - is it possible to eat wolf berries - the answer is categorical - no!
Why are berries dangerous?
What happens if you eat a wolfberry? Almost 100% you can get poisoning and indigestion, but everything, of course, will depend on the amount. The fact is that the fruits contain solanine - the strongest poison, which provokes poisoning. If you do not provide first aid in a timely manner, do not call an ambulance, then a fatal outcome will be inevitable. About five berries can cause death.
Not only the fruits themselves are poisonous, but the entire shrub as a whole - branches, leaves. Thus, it is better not to touch the plant at all, but to admire it only from afar.
The composition of berries and bark contains a number of substances that cause poisoning. The main components are meserein, daphnetin, daphnin glycoside, coumarin. In almost all cases, poisoning does not go away without a trace, even after the treatment, various complications may occur, so it is very important to take all measures in a timely manner.
The wolf's bast berry causes severe poisoning, if you made a mistake and ate it, then the symptoms will be as follows:
- sensation of a burn of a mouth and all mucous;
- nausea, vomiting;
- profuse salivation, there may be difficulty in swallowing;
- diarrhea;
- eye inflammation, lacrimation;
- convulsions, general weakness are possible.
Wolfberry poisoning is severe, the degree will depend on the amount of fruit consumed. In its course, such poisoning has the form of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, death occurs mainly due to cardiac arrest.
If the juice of the plant gets on the skin, a burn or redness appears. With prolonged contact with the skin, the development of tumor-like destruction on the epidermis is quite possible. It is dangerous even to be near flowering plant- inhalation of pollen irritates the mucous membranes.
What to do in case of wolfberry poisoning
If a child or an adult ate a wolfberry, then you must immediately call an ambulance and take first aid measures.. First of all, it is necessary to remove the source of poisoning from the body, that is, induce vomiting. A weak solution of potassium permanganate is suitable for this (the liquid should be light pink, not saturated purple!). You can give the victim activated charcoal or any other sorbent. If possible, give the victim a cleansing enema.
Berry poisoning can cause convulsions and cardiac arrest. If there are heart preparations in the first-aid kit, it is necessary to give them to the patient following the recommendations and the correct dosage. After providing first aid, it is necessary to force the person to lie down, take a calm position and wait for the ambulance to arrive. In almost all cases, hospitalization and further inpatient treatment follow.
The whole wolfberry bush is poisonous, so if the juice gets on the skin or if the plant just scratched you, you need to wash the place with an antiseptic solution, if there is nothing at hand, potassium permanganate will do.
The dangers of using privet should be clear to everyone, it is especially important to convey this information to children. If you are planning a trip to the forest or live in the countryside, do not forget to tell your children about all the dangers that are fraught with attractive and tasty-looking berries. In addition to privet, there are many other plants, the touch of which can already carry unpleasant consequences.
Beneficial features
Many poisonous plants have beneficial features, but they must be able to use them correctly, otherwise it is very dangerous for life and can lead to unpredictable consequences.
Privet has long been used in conventional and folk medicine for the treatment of various diseases:
- of cardio-vascular system;
- kidneys and liver;
- neuroses and mental disorders;
- eye;
- joints.
Due to their toxicity, shrub products are not used in official medicine, but are used exclusively in homeopathy. Among the people, tinctures and decoctions from this plant are used to treat bronchitis, pneumonia, and colds. Privet has proven itself very well in folk medicine for the treatment of skin diseases.
Prepared tinctures and decoctions are never taken internally, they are used for rubbing, rinsing, lotions.
Plant blanks are made in the summer - branches, leaves are collected, roots are dug out. In autumn, you can harvest the fruits of the shrub.
It is worth remembering that in the event of any disease, self-treatment can be dangerous, especially if you prepare homemade tinctures and poisons from toxic plants. Remember that the plant contains a dangerous and poisonous substance, which, even in small doses, leads to heart failure, can cause cardiac arrest and death.
Application in everyday life
Privet has proven itself as a poison for agricultural needs. With its help, infusions are prepared against Colorado potato beetles and other pests.. Such a poison is only suitable for root crops, spray it with other plants and fruit trees highly discouraged, especially immediately before collection. It is best to spray in the spring, when the leaves are just beginning to form, there is no flowering and fruit. The use of this poison suburban area can be compared with simple chemicals Therefore, care must also be taken to use a mask and rubber gloves when spraying.
Previously, ink was made from black privet berries. Wolfberry is quite often found on suburban areas and in urban areas as a hedge. The shrub is quite dense, with beautiful leaves and lush bloom. It is drought-resistant, unpretentious in care. With the right circumcision, you can get a beautiful and perfect hedge up to 5 meters high. Now several varieties of common privet are artificially bred specifically for hedges. They can differ in color (during flowering), height, care features. In most cases, no special care is required - timely watering and pruning.
Thanks to the Internet and the spread of information about the miraculous goji berries, many people have already encountered an unpleasant situation - a mistake in collecting wolfberries instead of dereza. Keep in mind that real goji berries grow exclusively in the provinces of China. Some gardeners even grow these shrubs at home, but this is a long and laborious process. Dereza shrub in wild environment It is also quite rare, but in our territories it is the dangerous and poisonous privet that is most often found, the use of which can lead to death.
Pay attention to others dangerous bushes, which in appearance of leaves and berries can be similar to a wolfberry - red-fruited raven, red elderberry, snowberry, crow's eye, brittle buckthorn. When eating all the berries from such bushes, 100% poisoning appears. Symptoms are common - vomiting, diarrhea, nausea. It is necessary to provide timely first aid and send the victim to the hospital.
