In article ,
David Rance wrote:
In message , David
writes
On 30/07/2017 19:39, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Sun, 30 Jul 2017 17:29:32 +0100, john west
wrote:

In a rarely used green space near us, is this tree with a fruit that
look a bit like oval shaped cherries. Are they OK to eat ?

click on this tinypic photo hosting site to see photograph.

http://tinypic.com/r/2rnhtes/9

thanks
Could be a wild cherry, Prunus avium
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_avium (not to be confused with
the bird cherry, P. padus). But until you can put up a picture, don't
eat the fruit.
And remember, the kernels of cherry stones contain cyanide (like
most
stone fruits actually, peaches, nectarines, almonds, greengages, even
apples). This chap nearly died from eating only three cherry kernels.
I'm quite surprised it was that few. http://tinyurl.com/yc8oxoyq

Interesting article but what a load of twaddle, no warning about the
cherry stone kernel containing cyanide and do not eat.

No, but can't you see Health and Safety pouncing on this? Start looking
out for the warning notices!!!

Unlikely, because our ungovernment has its hands too full at present.
The last time we got a completely unnecessary and pointless law, the
tabloids decided to start a campaign claiming that undertakers were
shagging corpses, and we had Bloody Blair as PM. So we got the law
making both necrophilia and bestiality crimes, the only effect of
which was to encourage some damn-fool idiot to try the latter with
witnesses!

The victim must have been unusually sensitive because, in my family,
we have often eaten a lot more of such things. They are components of
several traditional recipes. But, yes, you need to take care. I don't
have any cherry stones to crack and weigh the kernels, but my estimate
is that 3 seeds is about 1% of the minimum lethal dose, and it is
surprising that would even cause an effect.

I am impressed by the thought of a 0.7 gram apple pip, incidentally.
More like 0.7 mg.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.