ABSTRACT
Fact and fiction are closely entwined in the matter of poisonous plants. The appearance of a plant is no clue to its character; only generations of experience has led us to select certain species for our food and taught us how they should be prepared. The majority of cases of plant poisoning occur among children or, less often, among adults who have either misidentified a plant or misused it in home medication. Not all components of common foodstuffs are harmless. There may be anti-nutrition factors or chemicals which in large amounts would be lethal, and it is often only the way the food is prepared or the fact that only low levels of toxin are present that allows us to consume them at all. This chapter lists the edible plants in which cholinesterase inhibitors are to be found in the parts generally eaten. Over-reliance on many plants may create problems.
