Wiki says it will give you a heart attack, if you eat it. Cardiogenic toxins, anyone?
Kevin Anthoneysays
I’m sure I saw that in one of Larry Moran’s Monday Molecule posts.
John Moralessays
Organic chemistry!
Carliesays
One of my favorites! I didn’t know about it until I moved to the northeast. It’s an easy one to identify even without the fruits. Common name in these parts: doll-eyes.
Anjsays
Doll-eyes or baneberry.
It’s a native plant and yes, as the name “baneberry” suggests, it is toxic. It’s an understory plant of deciduous woodlands.
Or I should amend that to “toxic to mammals”. Many fruits/seeds/berries/nuts that are toxic to many mammals are not toxic (or as toxic) to birds – which are the preferred consumers of the fruit and dispersers of the seeds.
astrosmashsays
Oh yeah? I HOPE its looking at me!
pHredsays
It is looking at you … and me and those guys over there.
It is the poster plant for the totally paranoid !
It’s larger than life-size. I learn something new every day; I would have said false solomon’s seal or some such.
RFWsays
Common name, “dolls’ eyes”. I’ve got a modest clump by my front walk where it gets little direct sun. Rather nice, sort-of-ferny foliage during the spring and summer before the berries put on their show.
Easy from seed. Sow in fall when the berries are ripe and leave the pot outside for the winter.
Due to its toxicity, not a plant for gardens infested by toddlers.
rablerowsersays
One of the common names of Actaea pachypoda is “Doll’s Eyes.” The name is derived from the fact that the stigmatic region of the fruit is dark giving an overall appearance of a small eye. During the days of Settlement in North America the fruits were harvested and stitched onto children’s dolls, hence the name.
The macabre connection of this plant is less well known. Young children, being young children, put nearly everything in their mouths. Members of this genus contain cardiac toxins that can cause rapid death, especially in humans of low body weight. Thus the gift of doll to a child was often a kiss of death!
Big Boppasays
I have one of these in my front yard in Chicago. It’s been coming up every year for 20 years or more. Never seen one anywhere else in the city and I’m kind of a wild flower enthusiast so I notice things like that.
MetzO'Magicsays
Organic chemistry!
John Morales FTW! That’s what it reminded me of too, one of those ubiquitous molecular diagrammes. I majored in EE, and was always a little bit in awe/angst regarding my pre-med brethern.
jakcsays
Clearly, evolution couldn’t create non-working eyes, so this MUST be proof of intelligent design. Scientifc progress goes boink!
Antiochus Epiphanessays
like
Ms. Daisy Cuttersays
Hey, it’s a plant for The Residents!
Zytrocksays
It seems like Wilt (from Foster’s home for imaginary friends) to me n_n
piranhaintheguppytanksays
Is Homeland Security genetically engineering plants?
Now you can’t even enjoy nature without being spied on.
Billsays
Wow, it’s a SCORPION STARE bush-robot! We’ll be ready for CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN, you betcha!
(Yeah, I’ve been listening to a lot of Charles Stross audiobooks lately. Does it show?)
Wow, what is that?
Octofloria Eyeballius.
YAAH! *jumps three feet back* What IS that? No, seriously, what the holy hell IS that?
Handy little multiple-marshmallow roasting stick.
Glen Davidson
For fuck sake, there is “Jesus loves you” ad below this picture half the size of the picture!
Marshmallow tree?
Hmm, it looked a little bit different in Schlock Mercenary but close enough.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actaea_pachypoda
You’re lucky. It’s thinking at me.
Wiki says it will give you a heart attack, if you eat it. Cardiogenic toxins, anyone?
I’m sure I saw that in one of Larry Moran’s Monday Molecule posts.
Organic chemistry!
One of my favorites! I didn’t know about it until I moved to the northeast. It’s an easy one to identify even without the fruits. Common name in these parts: doll-eyes.
Doll-eyes or baneberry.
It’s a native plant and yes, as the name “baneberry” suggests, it is toxic. It’s an understory plant of deciduous woodlands.
Or I should amend that to “toxic to mammals”. Many fruits/seeds/berries/nuts that are toxic to many mammals are not toxic (or as toxic) to birds – which are the preferred consumers of the fruit and dispersers of the seeds.
Oh yeah? I HOPE its looking at me!
It is looking at you … and me and those guys over there.
It is the poster plant for the totally paranoid !
It’s larger than life-size. I learn something new every day; I would have said false solomon’s seal or some such.
Common name, “dolls’ eyes”. I’ve got a modest clump by my front walk where it gets little direct sun. Rather nice, sort-of-ferny foliage during the spring and summer before the berries put on their show.
Easy from seed. Sow in fall when the berries are ripe and leave the pot outside for the winter.
Due to its toxicity, not a plant for gardens infested by toddlers.
One of the common names of Actaea pachypoda is “Doll’s Eyes.” The name is derived from the fact that the stigmatic region of the fruit is dark giving an overall appearance of a small eye. During the days of Settlement in North America the fruits were harvested and stitched onto children’s dolls, hence the name.
The macabre connection of this plant is less well known. Young children, being young children, put nearly everything in their mouths. Members of this genus contain cardiac toxins that can cause rapid death, especially in humans of low body weight. Thus the gift of doll to a child was often a kiss of death!
I have one of these in my front yard in Chicago. It’s been coming up every year for 20 years or more. Never seen one anywhere else in the city and I’m kind of a wild flower enthusiast so I notice things like that.
John Morales FTW! That’s what it reminded me of too, one of those ubiquitous molecular diagrammes. I majored in EE, and was always a little bit in awe/angst regarding my pre-med brethern.
Clearly, evolution couldn’t create non-working eyes, so this MUST be proof of intelligent design. Scientifc progress goes boink!
like
Hey, it’s a plant for The Residents!
It seems like Wilt (from Foster’s home for imaginary friends) to me n_n
Is Homeland Security genetically engineering plants?
Now you can’t even enjoy nature without being spied on.
Wow, it’s a SCORPION STARE bush-robot! We’ll be ready for CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN, you betcha!
(Yeah, I’ve been listening to a lot of Charles Stross audiobooks lately. Does it show?)