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CERBERA ODOLLAM: THE SUICIDE TREE
Most of the plants on this list have a common name that only just hints at how it might be dangerous, but the popular nickname of Cerbera odollam—the “Suicide Tree”—is refreshingly honest about how it only exists to kill you. Native to Southern Asia in general and the Kerala province of India in particular, Cerbera odollam contains a powerful cardiac toxin that can easily be hidden in spicy food (and anybody who’s eaten Indian food knows that the spiciest food is the best food) and is extremely difficult to detect in autopsies. A French toxicologist team once determined that half of all plant deaths (and a tenth of all poisoning deaths) in Kerala were due to Cerbera poisoning, casting doubt on a number of accidental or suicidal death cases. In fact, considering how easy it is to sneak Cerbera poisons into Kerala cuisine and how many people died in suspicious circumstances as a result, it’s probably more accurate to refer to Cerbera odollam as the Homicide Tree.
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9 Comments
All Australians are descended from convicts? The Aboriginal community might beg to differ.
February 10 2013 at 11:00 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyI can vouch that Datura Stramonium aka Jimpson weed is a crappy buzz.
February 10 2013 at 3:42 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replysnakeroot - not rootsnake
February 09 2013 at 11:44 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAnd why do we have to see about your hatred for President Obama, Tom Currie
February 09 2013 at 7:59 PM Report abuse Permalink +2 rate up rate down ReplyMaybe cause Tom Currie is a sore loser,
February 10 2013 at 5:27 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Replyget over it Tom, Remember, its about Plants not politics.
exactly ...what poor loser to write stuff about a sitting president. Just think...4 more years and you\'ll still find yourself on the wrong side of history..Tom you are a sick bass tird.
February 10 2013 at 9:26 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyAmanita Muscaria - the mario mushroom, totally red
February 09 2013 at 5:17 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyRidiculous. In Fla where I grew up we had oleanders planted in the yard and trimmed them every year. They were planted and grew by the parks on the bay where we swam and had picnics. They are beautiful plants. Just don\'t eat them.... like most plants.
February 09 2013 at 12:53 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyLet\'s not forget those killer tomatoes.
February 08 2013 at 8:02 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply