In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:

The point is that, allergies and damage to mucous membranes aside,
any plant found 'in the wild' in the UK can be handled and even tasted
without serious risk of death or permanent injury. The same is not
true for tropical plants, including those grown in conservatories,
greenhouses etc.

I think hemlock (Conium maculatum) might be a bit borderline in this
respect and it is quite common in suitably damp hedgerows in season.
It seems to follow the loathsome oilseed rape around somehow.

No, though it is claimed to be. I looked it up, and you need more
than a taste to kill yourself.

Colchicums are also naturalised in places and pretty toxic.

I believe the same applies here.

The point is that toxins cost the plant a lot of energy to produce,
so are more evolutionarily effective for tropical plants. Fungi
have a very different kind of metabolism.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.