4 ms·
Sago palm and Cinnamon fern are toxic.
by guelo 5y ago
Sago palm and Cinnamon fern are toxic.
- HarryHirsch 5y agoWikipedia on the Sago Palm: "In metabolic conditions, cycasin is hydrolyzed into glucose and methylazoxymethanol (MAM), the latter of which dissociates into formaldehyde and diazomethane. Life finds a way to weaponize diazomethane. God help us all.
- bcherny 5y agoInterestingly, many of the plants on that list are toxic to some degree. Many take repeated boiling, or can only be eaten in small quantities (eg. Ginkgo). I mentioned Sacks in the article — he has a fascinating book on cycad toxicity: https://www.oliversacks.com/books-by-oliver-sacks/island-colorblind/ https://www.oliversacks.com/books-by-oliver-sacks/island-col...
- R0b0t1 5y agoI think it's fair to say most plants are toxic. The ones we eat as staples are the exception. Foods that you might want to use as a staple, like pine nuts and some beans, end up being toxic when consumed regularly, and anything left isn't really suitable as a main source of calories.