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Hi Mary & All, Aug 13, 2006
I finally remembered to bring some berries home today for a taste
test. One was enough; very soapy and too foul to swallow. It is safe to
assume that the author did not test these berries. Also I wonder about
healthy plant tissue containing a significant amount of acetic acid.
Some compendia of edible/medicinal plants are loaded with
misinformation and I wonder if this applies here.
The young rolled leaves of Clintonia, when they are <5 cm long, are
a pleasant nibble with a cucumber flavor [young leaves cooked are
reputed to make a good potherb but I have never tried this]. With age
the leaves become bitter and, if I recall correctly, the leaves are
seldom fed upon by insects so I suspect latex [it is odd but such
thoughts surface when one is typing an e-mail and not when one has a
plant within reach].
Yours truly, Dave Webster, Kentville
Mary Macaulay wrote:
>
> Hi Rick,
> According to one of my references (Use of Plants for the past 500
> years by Charlotte Erichesen-Brown - p346-347). The native people used
> this plant (probably the roots as they contain diosgenin) for
> treatment of tumours. The berries are said to be sweetish and edible
> containing dextrose, levulose (fructose), tartaric and acetic acid and
> fatty oil (not defined).
> Mary
>
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: "Rick Ballard" <RBallard@NL.Rogers.Com>
> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Mystery plant (picture)
> Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 22:08:28 -0230
>
> Interestingly, although the berries of Clintonia borealis are widely
> regarded and reported as
> being poisonous ( even commonly called Poisonberry in NF ), I have
> been unable to find a
> reference that tells exactly what the poison is, or its effects. After
> an hour with Google I
> turned up nothing specific.
>
> It is not listed in "A Field Guide to Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms
> of North America". The
> book has a reference for Corn Lily, but it is a different plant
> altogether.
>
> Some quotes from the web:
>
> "POISONOUS PARTS: Berries suspect, caution. No known cases. Toxic
> Principle:
> Unknown; suspected due to relation to toxic plants. "
>
> "The fruits' toxicity hasn't been confirmed, but a Mi'kmaq tale
> suggests that the whole might
> be toxic."
>
> Wikipedia says:
> "The rhizome contains diosgenin, a saponin steroid with estrogenic
> effects."
> "According to a Mi'kmaq tale, when a grass snake eats a poisonous
> toad, it slithers in rapid
> circles around a shoot of blue-bead lily to transfer the poison to the
> plant."
>
> Does anyone have any more definite information ?
>
> Date sent: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 20:15:23 -0300
> From: Ken MacAulay <kenmacaulay@eastlink.ca>
> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Mystery plant (picture)
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
> Send reply to: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>
> > Jeannie. This looks like Clintonia or blue bead lily. Those pretty
> > blue berries are poisonous.
> > Ken MacAulay
> > Port Mouton
> >
>
>
> --
> Rick Ballard
> Torbay, Newfoundland, Canada
> http://www.ideaphore.com
>
>
>
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