Re baby eating flower - it was only trying to shove in mouth, not really eating, which I would have stopped [only 4 months old]. Also, I figure most plants give a pretty good warning with bitter tastes, prickles and other warnings against being eaten.
I've never heard of children being poisoned by plants. Household chemicals, yes, but not plants. I think there have been a few million years of evolution between plants and primates [and other mammals] and there are fairly good instincts to avoid the bad ones.
For the most part, it's a stand-off. They don't bug us and we don't bug them.
Of course smart alecky stupid young humans trying out the power of their brains will try eating said toxic plants for fun and daring. Lots of plants produce neurotoxins as a defence - fouling nerve cells and brain cells is a good way to avoid being eaten.
Insects, animals and people flopping around with neurotoxins in their brains and nerves will make them easily edible by tigers, wolves and other predators.
But young humans [and not so young] insist on ingesting toxins from tobacco, yeasts, opium, coca, cocoa, marijuana, coffee, tea, toadstools, daytura, and lots more besides. I suppose all plants have been tried at least once. Even hemlock [not necessarily voluntarily]. Then wonder why they get problems!
Mqurice |
