On 2/5/08 03:07, in article , "Anne
Jackson" wrote:

The message from Dave Hill contains these
words:

On 1 May, 18:31, Stewart Robert Hinsley
wrote:
In message , Sacha
writesRay was given this and can't
remember its name! *Has anyone any ideas?
http://i25.tinypic.com/2w7lb8x.jpg

My first though was Phytolacca, but when I look for photographs of this
the foliage doesn't seem to match.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Sacha,
It's a cultivated form of Phytolacca americana Pokeweed or pokeberry
http://www.botanypictures.com/planti...a%2001%20(karm
ozijnbes).jpg

They over winter very well onder cold glass but I have yet to try one
outside.


I would handle this one with care!

http://waynesword.palomar.edu/ecoph24.htm

" Several toxins have been identified in species of Phytolacca, usually
concentrated in the roots, berries and seeds. These poisons include an
alkaloid (phytolaccine), a resin (phytolaccatoxin), and a saponin
(phytolaccigenin). According to W.H. Lewis and M.P.F. Elvin-Lewis
(Medical Botany, 1977), the most serious health hazard from Phytolacca
comes from a very toxic plant protein called a lectin. Lectins can cause
red blood cells to clump together (agglutinate) and may stimulate abnormal
cell division in quiescent B and T-lymphocytes. Lectins are the primary
toxic principle in the world's deadliest seeds, including the castor bean
(Ricinus communis) and prayer bead (Abrus precatorius). The agglutination
property of lectins serves a useful purpose in legumes, by binding and
localizing essential nitrogen-fixing bacteria within the swollen nodules
of roots."

Thanks Anne and to everyone for the ID, too. I shall print off the deadly
warning and pass it on to Ray!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'