# Is tasting plants dangerous **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 24, 2014, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339 "2014-08-24T01:48:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/21 "2014-08-25T15:01:48Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > This is incorrect. Mycologists routinely taste fungi as part of the identification criteria - even the most deadly species can be tasted and spat out safely. > > I don’t recommend it personally though (and in all honesty, it’s probably not often necessary). I really would not try that. > **[Amanita phalloides](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_phalloides#Toxicity)** > > Amanita phalloides (/æməˈnaɪtə fəˈlɔɪdiːz/), commonly known as the death cap, is a deadly poisonous basidiomycete fungus and mushroom, one of many in the genus Amanita. Originating in Europe but later introduced to other parts of the world since the late twentieth century, A. phalloides forms ectomycorrhizas with various broadleaved trees. In some cases, the death cap has been introduced to new regions with the cultivation of non-native species of oak, chestnut, and pine. The large These toxi... > [@](#): > > Some authorities strongly advise against putting suspected death caps in the same basket with fungi collected for the table and to avoid touching them. > **[No evidence Woolworths sold death cap mushrooms](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-28/no-evidence-woolworths-sold-mushrooms-at-centre-of-poisoning/5414378)** > > Health authorities say it appears the death cap mushrooms at the centre of three poisoning cases in Canberra were picked and there is no link to Woolworths. > > Two people are in Canberra hospitals, and a third is in a Sydney hospital, after eating the... > [@](#): > > He says people must wear gloves if they are removing the mushrooms. > > “Even touching any part of of the plant can cause problems if you then put your fingers in your mouth,” he said. Overcautious? Perhaps. Mushrooms vary widely in toxicity, even within the same species, depending on local conditions etc. Once can ingest small amounts of 20 “death caps” without harm, and get sick from the 21st. Considering that it kills by damaging one’s internal organs, the liver and kidneys, I’d use discretion as the better part of valour! There are better ways to ID mushrooms than by taste. Death caps are, allegedly, supposed to taste pretty good … Edit: once again, username/post is funny. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/22 "2014-08-25T15:18:44Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > **WhyNot** , I’ve enjoyed reading what you’ve shared in this thread (and others), but, for me hold the sugar and berries. My rhubarb is chopped steams simmered in a few Tb of water. Mmmmmmmmm! Too tart for me without some associates. But enjoy! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/23 "2014-08-25T15:36:23Z")
The fox glove or dog bane besides being poison alsp produces a very useful and strong fiber. Testing stems for fiber strength is another thing I do somewhat compulsively. I have this long standing hope that I will discover a new strong natural fiber that we can use for bow strings. Primitive bows are required to use natural fiber strings and the linen we buy today is not as strong as the linen used 100 years ago. I have no idea why. I actually have discovered a few fibers strong enough to be considered useful and rediscovered some that have been used for centuries but are not often talked about. If I were to find something with an interesting taste I would identify and research the plant before I ate any kind of quantities. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/24 "2014-08-25T15:39:09Z")
It was my understanding that a single deadly nightshade berry cold be lethal, but [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atropa_belladonna) says it might take as many as five. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/25 "2014-08-25T15:49:14Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I really would not try that. > > [Amanita phalloides - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_phalloides#Toxicity) > > [No evidence Woolworths sold death cap mushrooms at centre of Canberra poisonings, ACT Health says - ABC News](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-28/no-evidence-woolworths-sold-mushrooms-at-centre-of-poisoning/5414378) > > Overcautious? Perhaps. > > Mushrooms vary widely in toxicity, even within the same species, depending on local conditions etc. Once can ingest small amounts of 20 “death caps” without harm, and get sick from the 21st. > > Considering that it kills by damaging one’s internal organs, the liver and kidneys, I’d use discretion as the better part of valour! There are better ways to ID mushrooms than by taste. Death caps are, allegedly, supposed to taste pretty good … > > Edit: once again, username/post is funny. I wouldn’t taste poisonous mushrooms either (as I think was clear from my previous post), but the point is, it can be done safely even for the most poisonous of species. To quote expert mycologist [Roger Phillips](http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/) in [this](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mushrooms-Other-Britain-Europe-original/dp/0330264419) book: > [@](#): > > When making a collection it will facilitate identification if you note the salient characteristics of a species in the same order they are mentioned in the text: > > … > > Flesh. Note the colour, the texture. Is it fibrous or crumbly? Does it exude milk? Check the smell and taste. (To ascertain taste, nibble a little bit and break it up on the tip of your tongue without swallowing it, spit out the remains and completely clear your mouth; if done carefully, even the most poisonous species can be tasted this way. though in practice you will soon learn to recognize and so avoid tasting the main poisonous species. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/26 "2014-08-25T15:54:23Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > **Mangetout** , if you ate “some of the root,” as a kid without getting ill, it’s more likely you were eating _Daucus carota_, no? That tastes exactly like “somewhere between raw carrots and parsley.” [Maud Grieve describes the flavor of water hemlock root as “acrid.”](https://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/h/hemwat19.html) Obviously, I’ve never tasted the root myself. No - it wasn’t a feathery leaf like wild carrot - and it was growing in swampy woodland next to a stream - I’m 99% certain it was Hemlock Water Dropwort (Oenanthe crocata) ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/27 "2014-08-25T16:00:37Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I wouldn’t taste poisonous mushrooms either (as I think was clear from my previous post), but the point is, it can be done safely even for the most poisonous of species. To quote expert mycologist [Roger Phillips](http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/) in [this](http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mushrooms-Other-Britain-Europe-original/dp/0330264419) book: Clearly, different experts evidently say different things on this particular point. Some say you can taste even the most poisionous species (which the “Death Cap” definitely is - it is responsible for some 90% of mushroom poisioning deaths), and you have kindly linked to one; others say “don’t even touch this and put your finger in your mouth” - points I have linked to. When I see a difference of opinions on the part of the experts, I would be inclined to err on the side of those recommending caution … I would not state that the point has been proved that tasting small amounts is harmless. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/28 "2014-08-25T16:12:03Z")
I don’t disagree that it is best to err on the side of caution - and in fact, I believe that’s what your cited sources are already doing, in emphasising the risk that way. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/29 "2014-08-25T16:26:45Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I don’t disagree that it is best to err on the side of caution - and in fact, I believe that’s what your cited sources are already doing, in emphasising the risk that way. Perhaps. There is no real way of knowing that, though. Much of the expert opinion on this sort of issue is based on anecdote. One could equally well think that the expert saying “tasing small amounts is harmless” is basing that on his personal experiences of doing just that - which could be based on (a) luck, or (b) his own personal reactions. Suceptibility to these types of poisions is very much an individual thing, though. This guy may not be as suceptible as some others. Also, one questions just how often a recognized expert on mushroom identification has actually put some of the “Death Cap” in his mouth. He himself notes there are other ways of IDing them: “… in practice you will soon learn to recognize and so avoid tasting the main poisonous species”. I would presume he learned long ago what the “Death Cap” looks like. For obvious reasons, there is nothing like a scientific study of people mouthing small amounts of the “Death Cap” available. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/30 "2014-08-25T16:26:50Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > No - it wasn’t a feathery leaf like wild carrot - and it was growing in swampy woodland next to a stream - I’m 99% certain it was Hemlock Water Dropwort (Oenanthe crocata) Ah! The curse of close common names strikes again. Different from the one \*\*Toxylon \*\*was asking about: Cicuta virosa, aka Water Hemlock They’ll both kill ya if you eat the roots, but from different chemical constituents - Oenanthe c. by oenanthotoxin and Cicuta v. by cicutoxin. I have no idea how Oenanthe c. tastes. I don’t think we have it here. But I’m glad you didn’t die. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/31 "2014-08-25T20:30:50Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Perhaps. There is no real way of knowing that, though. > > Much of the expert opinion on this sort of issue is based on anecdote. One could equally well think that the expert saying “tasing small amounts is harmless” is basing that on his personal experiences of doing just that - which could be based on (a) luck, or (b) his own personal reactions. Suceptibility to these types of poisions is very much an individual thing, though. This guy may not be as suceptible as some others. Also, one questions just how often a recognized expert on mushroom identification has actually put some of the “Death Cap” in his mouth. He himself notes there are other ways of IDing them: “… in practice you will soon learn to recognize and so avoid tasting the main poisonous species”. I would presume he learned long ago what the “Death Cap” looks like. > > For obvious reasons, there is nothing like a scientific study of people mouthing small amounts of the “Death Cap” available. Or… my expert could be spot on and yours could be overplaying the risks (because that’s not actually a bad idea when trying to get the message across to the general public). The science behind the calculation of fatal doses has been very well researched and it simply isn’t reasonable to assert that you can seriously poison yourself by just touching them and then putting your fingers in your mouth. I don’t believe there will be a single reported case of someone coming to harm from slight contact with death caps. Of course it’s not a good idea to collect them in the same container as edible species, because that’s an accident waiting to happen, and it’s not even necessary to use the sense of taste to identify death caps. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/32 "2014-08-25T20:51:07Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Or… my expert could be spot on and yours could be overplaying the risks (because that’s not actually a bad idea when trying to get the message across to the general public). That is certainly possible. > [@](#): > > The science behind the calculation of fatal doses has been very well researched and it simply isn’t reasonable to assert that you can seriously poison yourself by just touching them and then putting your fingers in your mouth. I don’t think anyone is alleging that you would die from such a slight contact. However, there is lots of room between “dying” and “perfectly safe”. I disagree that the effects of doses of the toxins in Death Caps are well known. The problem is that these effects vary considerably by individual, and the mushrooms vary considerably in toxicity. > [@](#): > > I don’t believe there will be a single reported case of someone coming to harm from slight contact with death caps. The problem here is that few people just taste them and spit them out. It just isn’t a very common occurance. For one, those with an interest in mushroom taxonomy usually recognize the “Death Cap” - and would, naturally, be reluctant to put some in their mouth. In any event, getting slightly ill from mushroom poisioning would probably go unreported. One of the features of poisioning by Death Cap is that the symptoms show up a long time after contact - up to two days. That’s why even in fatal cases it often takes a long time to find the culprit - the poisioned person simply doesn’t connect their distress with the mushroom they ate hours or even days ago. > [@](#): > > Of course it’s not a good idea to collect them in the same container as edible species, because that’s an accident waiting to happen, and it’s not even necessary to use the sense of taste to identify death caps. Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/33 "2014-08-25T20:56:06Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Stay away from roots and berries until you are certain of your plant ID skills. [Obligatory Simpsons clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0kVbXvId3A) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/34 "2014-08-25T21:23:20Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I disagree that the effects of doses of the toxins in Death Caps are well known. The problem is that these effects vary considerably by individual, and the mushrooms vary considerably in toxicity. Can you tell me where you’re getting these two facts (wrt variability) from? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/35 "2014-08-26T12:33:07Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Can you tell me where you’re getting these two facts (wrt variability) from? I did not think it was a contested fact. Here is Medscape’s description: > **[Mushroom Toxicity: Practice Essentials, Pathophysiology, Etiology](https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/167398-overview)** > > Mushroom poisoning (mushroom toxicity) occurs after the ingestion of mushrooms that contain toxins, often in the context of foraging for nontoxic, similarly appearing mushrooms. Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of a group of higher fungi that have... Toxicity varies by mushroom: > [@](#): > > The severity of mushroom poisoning may vary, depending on the geographic location where the mushroom is grown, growth conditions, the amount of toxin delivered, and the genetic characteristics of the mushroom. Suseptibility varies by individual: > [@](#): > > Variations in clinical effects may depend on an individual’s susceptibility and on the presence of confounding factors such as contamination or co-ingestion. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/36 "2014-08-26T13:37:42Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I have a bad habit of tasting plants, very small tastes and I always spit after tasting. Are there things out there poisonous enough to be dangerous from a very small taste. I have had my mouth get numb a number of times but so far have not suffered any bad effects, I always become paranoid after tasting and swear I will never do it again. Sounds similar to pica. If you do it and regret it, why do you keep doing it? Is it an irresistible compulsion? This might be a facet of OCD. Tasting random non-food items that have made your mouth numb before sounds pretty dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/37 "2014-08-27T18:34:38Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I did not think it was a contested fact. I didn’t say it was - I just wanted to know where you’d seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2014, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/38 "2014-08-27T19:41:53Z")
I don’t even taste implants. (…a guy can get slapped that way! Honest!) ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/39 "2014-08-28T03:15:57Z")
Aside from Datura and Dogbane should I be worried about touching any plant? I saw the recomendation to wear gloves when working with Lily of the Valley, which seems to be a bit overcautious… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339/40 "2014-08-28T03:23:23Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Datura is about the most toxic leaf I can think of, in terms of needing only a very low dose for it to have a serious negative effect. And it’s a common ornamental! Stupid teenagers have died eating or smoking it to get high. And that’s one that I mentioned you want to be careful you don’t get all over your skin, because you don’t even have to eat it to trip from it. My first herbal teacher once did a very stupid thing, pruning her datura plant without gloves. She tripped hard (and unpleasantly) for many hours, and probably should have been in the hospital on a cardiac monitor. I suspect this is another situation where individual tolerances vary widely, or there are other (unreported) factors.\* I grow Brugmansias (a genus related to Datura, and also poisonous). In fall I strip the leaves off by hand in preparation for taking the potted plants indoors for their dormant period. I don’t wear gloves when doing this and have never had any reaction whatsoever. If Datura was highly toxic to the touch, there’d be tons of reported casualties in areas where jimsonweed grows rampantly. Doesn’t seem to have happened. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tasting-plants-dangerous/696339.md?page=3)