On what bush do wolfberries grow? Poisonous wolfberry: description, application

Deadly wolfberry, Wolf's bast, Wolf's berries, Common wolfberry, Plokhovets, Pukhlyak - all these are the names of one plant - common wolfberry(Daphne mezereum), belonging to the wolf family (Thymelaeaceae).

Common wolfberry is found almost throughout Europe, in Transcaucasia. In Russia it grows throughout the forest zone of the European part and Western Siberia, in the North Caucasus, in Dagestan.

We have known since childhood that the Wolf's Bast plant is poisonous. It was even specially called “Wolf Berries” so that, God forbid, the children would not get poisoned. And they weren’t even allowed to come close to him.

Common wolfberry is a low-branched deciduous shrub up to 1.5 meters tall. Root system common wolfberry superficial. The yellowish-gray, slightly wrinkled bark will help you identify the shrub. IN middle lane Russian wolfberry blooms in early spring, before all the bushes.

The leaves of the wolfberry are narrow, oblong, oblanceolate, simple, growing alternately at the ends of the shoots. They are dark green in color, smooth on top, slightly shiny, bluish below, ciliated at the edges, up to 8 cm in length and up to 2 cm in width.

Bright pink fragrant honey-bearing flowers of wolf's bast are arranged in a “bouquet” of 3-5 pieces in the axils of last year’s fallen leaves.

It's very interesting what's going on pollination of common wolfberry. Its flowers have a pronounced protogyny - earlier maturation of female reproductive organs compared to male ones.

The bright flowers of the common wolfberry appear in the forest before the leaves of the trees bloom. Pollinating insects - bees, butterflies - are attracted to the nectar secreted at the base of the ovary.

When the insect's proboscis penetrates the perianth tube, pollen from the anthers surrounding the tube does not stick to it, since it is not sticky. Next, the bee's proboscis touches the stigma, located much lower, and, finally, the nectaries. The nectar makes the proboscis sticky, and when the insect pulls it out, it comes into contact with the anthers again. This time the pollen sticks to the proboscis and is thus transferred to another flower.

After such fertilization, a fruit is formed in place of the flowers - a juicy ovoid red berry-drupe up to 8 mm long. The fruits of the common wolfberry ripen in late July - early August. Inside the berry is a shiny seed up to 4 mm in diameter.

Common wolfberry is occasionally planted in gardens as ornamental plant, notable for its early flowering in spring and colorful fruits in autumn. But due to the toxicity of the plant, its use for decorative purposes is limited.

All parts of the common wolfberry, and especially the fruits, contain a sharply burning poisonous juice. The use of the plant for medicinal purposes is prohibited.

Poisoning can occur when eating berries (often by children) or chewing the bark. When the skin comes into contact with wet bark or when plant sap gets on it, severe dermatitis occurs. Inhalation of dust from the bark of the common wolfberry causes irritation of the mucous membranes of the pharynx and respiratory tract, contact with the eyes irritates the conjunctiva. After eating the berries, there is a burning sensation in the mouth, pain in the epigastric region, nausea, vomiting, weakness, and possible convulsions.

When writing this article, materials from https://ru.wikipedia.org were used
Image source https://www.flickr.com: Hornet Arts, C. E. Timothy Paine, naturgucker.de / enjoynature.net

Summer is a time to relax at the dacha, in the forest. Some plants native to your area are harmless, while others can be deadly poisonous. Today we would like to look at the wolfberry: study it beneficial features, and also dispel some myths.

Since childhood, our grandmother told us about the poisonous properties of wolfberry. However, few people know that there are several varieties of such berries. For example, Belladonna is a poisonous species, while the common wolfberry is not. Thus, wolfberry is a collective popular name that includes many varieties of the plant. Wolfberry and Crow's Eye are also poisonous. or dizziness can occur with Buckthorn and Snowberry. The plant Honeysuckle is not poisonous.

In addition to what was previously written, others are often classified as wolfberry inedible plants, which have a specific color, for example, bright red. Thus, red elderberry and some types of black elderberry are also in some way wolfberry.

A low shrub with small red berries that closely resemble goji, the standard wolfberry. Exactly this plant Most often it appears during stories from parents or grandmothers.

Beneficial features

As already noted, only two types of wolfberry are not poisonous - Dereza and True Honeysuckle. However, only the fruits of the first bush are suitable for consumption. Decoctions and teas are made from these berries, which are discussed below.

In Russia, it is very difficult to get wolfberry. Its habitat is Ukraine, the Caucasus and Moldova. But, if you manage to buy Dereza somewhere, you will forever forget what a cold, runny nose, etc. are, because this plant strengthens the immune system, making the body more resistant to diseases.

Other types of wolfberry cannot boast of such properties, but can become useful on the farm. Some gardeners make poison for pests from poisonous fruits. It is worth noting that these are quite effective, but do not differ much from purchased substances: store-bought poisons and those made independently harm the garden. It is absolutely forbidden to touch the wolfberry remedy: if it gets into even the smallest wound, it causes poisoning, and quite serious one at that.

Plants that have an attractive appearance are used for decoration. summer cottage and garden. For example, privet will perfectly complement landscape design, forming a hedge.

Some types of wolfberry are used in medicine for making. And in Nepal, local companies produce paper from wolf bast.

Thus, although poisonous fruits are unfit for consumption, they have become an integral part of industry and decoration.

Wolfberry fruit

Wolfberry is relatively easy to recognize among other plants. The poisonous plant grows in forest areas, very similar to currants. However, where wolfberry grows, currants cannot exist. The color of wolf bast is peculiar: the berries are dark and may have a purple tint. Also distinguishing feature– the surface of the fruit is glossy. In this regard, it is impossible to confuse the plant with wolfberry.

The berries contain solanine, a very strong poison. If you eat a dozen fruits, a person will experience dizziness, upset stomach, weakness, vomiting, and poor coordination of movements. But a large dosage can kill, and in a short time.

There is also wolfberry with red fruits. They strongly resemble goji, but are identical in properties to black fruits. Very often, citizens who want to lose weight go looking for local ones. As a result, they end up in the hospital in serious condition. Remember, although the berries are similar to the famous weight loss product, they have nothing in common except their appearance.

Wolfberry leaves

Each shrub has its own leaf shape. In this regard, it is difficult to remember certain types of wolfberry by foliage. It is worth noting that the leaves are also poisonous, just like the root, trunk and, of course, the berries themselves.

The leaves of wolfberry are small, oblong, and have a distinct oval shape, the tip is slightly pointed. Color – rich green.

The foliage is of no value. It is not used to prepare medicinal tea or decoction.

Uses of wolfberry

As already noted, wolfberry is used in medicines, as it has a number of useful properties:

normalizes heart function;
nervous system;
kidneys and liver;
supports immunity;
treats diseases of the eyes, joints and intestines.

Dereza is very similar to barberry. It makes a very tasty and healthy drink. Below is the tea recipe.

Prepare a spoonful of barberry and 250 milliliters of water. Grind the wolfberry by passing it through a meat grinder or using a blender. Place the berry mass in a thermos. Fill it up hot water, but not with boiling water, because Dereza will lose all its properties. Wait half an hour for the tea to brew. You can drink this drink instead of regular tea.

Is wolfberry dangerous?

Dereza is rich in minerals, amino acids, vitamins B and C, iron, polysaccharides, etc. If you consume even a small amount of harmful fruits, you will end up in a hospital bed. And if you eat berries in large quantities, death is possible. Rarely do doctors manage to save a person.

Wolfberry decoction

If you suffer from rectal fissure, hemorrhoids or spastic colitis, then prepare the following decoction.

Boil 20 grams of wolfberry code for 20 minutes in a glass of water.
Pass the broth through a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
Take a spoon morning and evening before meals.

A decoction of 60 grams of wolfberry, 20 grams of dandelion roots, 20 grams of parsley (fruits), the same amount of fennel fruits and twenty grams will improve digestion. peppermint. Pour 20 grams of herbal mixture into half a liter hot water(80°). Leave for 30 minutes. Drink two glasses of the drink in the morning.

This remedy is also a diuretic.

To treat constipation, the following recipe is useful: grind thirty grams of dry wolfberry bark, pour 200 grams of alcohol into it. You should insist for at least a week. Take a little (no more than a spoon) in the morning or lunch.

In fact, the name does not indicate that wolfberries serve as food for wolves. It’s just that a wolf is the embodiment of evil, meanness and death, so they began to call all poisonous plants that can kill with their berries.

Wherein appearance plants and even the color of the berries do not say anything; some of them have red, black or even white, some have a berry fruit, and some have a drupe. There is only one thing in common: eating it leads to poisoning or unpleasant sensations.

What does wolfberry look like?

In general, there are no actual wolfberries as a taxonomy or plant species.. The following poisonous and not so poisonous plants are popularly called by this name:

(not poisonous);
belladonna ( medicinal plant and poison);
wolfberry (wolf's bast) (poison);
raven eye(I);
real honeysuckle (not poisonous);
brittle buckthorn (fruits cause vomiting);
snowberry (fruits cause weakness, dizziness and vomiting);
red elderberry (not edible - bitter);
and a number of other herbs and plants

Poisonous plants wolfberry in the photo

Wolfberry: photos of all plants under this name

(go to gallery by clicking on any picture)

Wolf berry - wolf bast

It should be noted that most often in Russia this name hides wolf's bast, the berries of which, like the whole plant, are extremely poisonous. I think we need to introduce you to him a little better.

Wolfberry is a shrub no higher than 60-120 cm in height, blooming in early spring before the leaves bloom. Its erect branches are covered with a foam of purple flowers even before the forest turns green. The flowers grow from the axils of last year's leaves, densely, covering the branches a little less than completely, honey-bearing and fragrant. They may be pinkish or even white.

Despite all the attractiveness of the plant, it is better to avoid it; it is poisonous all year round.

Later, dark green lance-shaped leaves appear at the tops of the branches of this “little tree” and along the entire length of the branches. The flowers fade, turning into drupes. By the end of July - beginning of August, the entire bush is covered with bright red fruits the size of a cherry pit.

The entire plant is very poisonous, especially its fruits, which contain pungent juice. This is what makes wolf berries dangerous. Symptoms of poisoning when wolf bast berries are consumed orally appear almost immediately. First there is a burning sensation in the mouth, then nausea, vomiting and even cramps occur. If the person survives, he will suffer from hemorrhagic enteritis for several days. Repeated loose stools mixed with blood lead to dehydration and serious digestive problems. There are no specific antidotes.

Poisoning most often occurs in children and obese lazy ladies who decide to look for goji berries in local forests and avoid spending money on Chinese wolfberry. Fortunately, wolf bast grows throughout Russia from the Arctic to Far East.

Sometimes inexperienced forest lovers confuse wolfberry with raven's eye, calling it wolf's eye. The raven's eye berry differs significantly in appearance; it is a small herbaceous plant with a single black berry in the center of a rosette of leaves. However, this does not make the crow's eye any less poisonous; this plant should also be avoided.

Wolfberry also has beneficial properties; it is used in folk medicine and in homeopathy, decorate it garden plots. But it is prohibited to use it in medicine.

Do you know why the wolfberry plant received the name wolf's bast? The bark of the shrub is incredibly flexible and durable. They even make women's hats from it...

Hello, dear reader!

July, and especially August, is the season for a wide variety of wild berries. Strawberries and blueberries, currants, bird cherry, raspberries, and closer to autumn - lingonberries. And others... You just need to remember that there are poisonous berries in our forest! There may not be many of them, but poisonous berries need to know. And it is especially important that children know them well!

All kinds of ratings and TOPs are in vogue these days. Well, I will also present a kind of TOP of poisonous berries. The criteria are simple - the poisonousness of the plant and its prevalence and accessibility for those who can, most often accidentally, through ignorance, be poisoned by it. Well, let's get started...

It is a common inhabitant of deciduous and mixed coniferous-deciduous forests. It occurs very often. The appearance of the plant is unique; it is almost impossible to confuse it with another. Whorled arrangement of leaves, a single flower, and then a fruit that sits alone at the top of the stem.

The entire plant is poisonous - both leaves and rhizomes. But the berries of the crow's eye are especially poisonous. Large, black, shiny, it really resembles the eye of a crow. And very attractive, especially for children. But the crow's eye berry is deadly! The substance paristifin from the group of saponins causes convulsions and disrupts the functioning of the heart. Which can stop!

In folk medicine, there are a number of recipes using raven's eye to treat certain diseases. However, you need to know:
Due to its extreme danger, the use of raven's eye for any medical purposes forbidden!

Out of curiosity, children can enjoy the “berry”. In case of poisoning, urgent medical attention is required! Children from an early age need to be introduced to this plant and explained that they should never touch it.

Wolf's bast (wolfberry)

About this interesting forest bush. Very beautiful in spring Wolf's bast is also very attractive in August, when its large red berries ripen. However, the entire plant - leaves, bark, and fruits - is poisonous!

You should not even pick it up to avoid skin burns. Moreover, taste the berries. The result will be severe damage to the gastrointestinal tract.

Wolfberry, or wolf's bast

Wolfberry is a medicinal plant. It is widely used in traditional medicine. And the modern pharmacopoeia is interested in this plant! But this does not mean that nature lovers should necessarily be “interested” in them (only through a camera!). And even more so, children should be warned about the danger of wolf bast!

May lily of the valley

Such a much-loved plant as lily of the valley is also dangerous!

May lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) is the only representative of the lily of the valley genus of the lily family (however, here too the issues of taxonomy are quite controversial and are constantly being clarified).

Lily of the valley is widespread in the northern hemisphere, but especially in Europe. True, due to excessive harvesting, the natural habitats of this beautiful plant are constantly decreasing. However, lily of the valley has long been a garden plant.

It is a perennial with a thin creeping rhizome. There are several leaves in the basal rosette, but the lower ones are very small and inconspicuous, similar to scales. But two large, broadly lanceolate leaves with arched veins are hard to miss (and confuse with the leaves of another plant). Between the leaves grows a flowering stem bearing a cluster of graceful fragrant flowers.

Many years ago, the author once came across a small clearing (ten by fifteen meters) in the forest, the grass cover of which consisted of almost nothing but lily of the valley leaves! True, it was already the second half of July, and flowering had long since ended. It’s not for nothing that it’s called the May plant; it blooms in May – early June.

Lily of the valley is not only an excellent ornamental plant, but also a recognized medicinal plant. Recognized not only by folk, but also by official medicine. Preparations from lily of the valley treat heart disease vascular system. Basic active ingredients– glycosides convalatoxin, convallotoxol, convalloside. They are obtained from the leaves and flowers of the plant.

But an overdose of medicine can lead to disruption of the heart! Therefore, you should never self-medicate - it is very dangerous!

You can also get poisoned simply out of curiosity - by trying the beautiful red berries! This again happens especially often with children! But you don’t have to go to the forest to get the fruits of the lily of the valley. And he’s rare there! They are common in our flower beds!

Lily of the valley berries (photo from the Internet)

By the way, it’s also not worth collecting large bouquets of lily of the valley in the spring or placing them in a vase in a room - a large amount of substances released into the air is by no means safe for health.

Voronets spicata. Red-fruited crow

Voronets spica is a perennial herbaceous plant from the buttercup family. As you can see in the photo, it has large compound leaves with serrated leaflets on the edges. Grows in shady forests - broad-leaved, mixed, coniferous-small-leaved. In such a secondary spruce-birch-aspen forest with an undergrowth of currants and raspberries. I discovered it with developed grass cover. The habitat of the Spiky Voronets is almost all of Europe, the south of the forest zone of Western Siberia and Altai.

The entire plant is poisonous! After all, its organs contain a whole range of alkaloids and transaconitic acid. Even juice that gets on the skin can cause burning and blistering. Berries are no exception. Adults can also use them out of curiosity or ignorance. But first of all, again, children suffer! But even two or three berries for a child is a significant dose!

True, the plant itself warns of its danger. Its smell is very unpleasant!

Like many poisonous plants, it is used in traditional medicine. Official medicine does not recognize it!

Black dye for dyeing wool was obtained from voronets berries.

A close relative of the spiky crow is the red-fruited crow. But if it is an inhabitant of Europe, and is already becoming rare in Siberia, then the red-fruited crow widely populates the forest zone in the Far East, in Eastern and Western Siberia. It is also found in the north of the European part.

Red-fruited Voronets (photo from the Internet)

In appearance it is similar to a relative, differing primarily in the color of the fruits - they are red.

Also a highly poisonous plant! The large number of alkaloids contained in all organs of the plant make it potentially dangerous for the curious berry lover!

Although this little crow “nobly” warns of itself with a smell so characteristic that it received the name “stinker.”

The plant is widely used in traditional medicine. However, remember:

You need to get treatment from specialists! Self-medication is dangerous because it can very easily turn into its exact opposite. And such “treatment” with poisonous plants is especially dangerous!

The fruits of the red crow are also used to produce black dye. Hence, by the way, the name. After all, “voronoi” just means “black.”

The entire plant is very poisonous. The alkaloids of the atropine group included in its composition can cause very severe poisoning. The result can even be death due to paralysis respiratory system and cardiac arrest.

Belladonna (photo from the Internet)

Its habitat is beech and hornbeam forests of the Central and of Eastern Europe, Mediterranean, Crimea, Caucasus, Asia Minor, North Africa. In the Krasnodar region it is grown on plantations (for medicinal purposes). Although the plant is very poisonous, it can be found in natural conditions Most Russian residents are unlikely to have to. Although, of course, you need to know it! Therefore, in my ranking of poisonous berries its place is by no means the highest.

By the way, “belladonna” translated from Italian means “ beautiful woman" Yes and Russian name in tune. This is due to the fact that the juice of the plant was dropped into the eyes to dilate the pupils and rubbed on the cheeks to enhance the blush. Beauty truly requires sacrifice!

Bittersweet nightshade is often found in thickets of bushes, along the banks of water bodies, in wastelands in the European part of Russia, Western and Eastern Siberia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Its flowers are similar to those of other nightshades, especially potatoes. The oblong red berries are very reminiscent of small tomatoes.

The plant is a medicinal plant and is very widely used in folk medicine and homeopathy. However, nightshade leaves and berries are poisonous! They should be treated by a specialist!

You should also not eat berries (for the sake of curiosity). The glycoside dulcamarin they contain acts like atropine, causing disturbances in the central nervous system, respiration and heart function.

In addition to very poisonous berries, which carry great danger even if accidentally consumed, in our forests there are berries... not that poisonous, but simply inedible. There will be no severe poisoning when consuming them. But trouble is almost certainly guaranteed! In my TOP of poisonous berries, these plants will naturally take last place.

The fruits ripen in August. These are black drupes sitting on cuttings in the axils of the leaves. Buckthorn fruits and bark are medicinal raw materials. They are used in traditional medicine as an emetic and laxative (official medicine only recognizes the bark).

The fruits are readily eaten by birds. In humans, their use can cause unpleasant consequences, caused precisely by their medical properties - that is, vomiting and diarrhea (diarrhea).

Widespread forest shrub with very attractive red berries sitting for the most part in pairs (that’s exactly how – in pairs – its flowers sit on a plant). Forest honeysuckle is widely used in landscaping as an ornamental shrub.

Birds readily peck at the berries. For humans, they are inedible, and the consequences can be similar to the consequences of eating buckthorn.

In Eastern Siberia and the Far East, forest honeysuckle is replaced in nature by a similar species, but with oblong blue berries covered with a waxy coating. These fruits are edible. And the shrub was named edible honeysuckle. It is widespread in culture and is often planted in gardens and parks. Sometimes it can get wild. Bird-dispersed seeds edible honeysuckle They can also make an “escape into nature”!

In general, you need to remember a simple rule. In nature, you should never “taste” anything you are not familiar with! This applies to plants almost more than anything else. After all, they contain many substances, the presence of which in your body, and even in significant concentrations, may be very undesirable! So you may well get caught with poisonous berries.

You should also not self-medicate. I especially wouldn’t recommend using recipes from the Internet! If you want to turn to traditional medicine, then it’s better to find a grandmother who “knows.”

That's probably all I have for today. I’ve been writing an already short post... for three days. Not like a blogger somehow...

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60 comments to “ Poisonous berries. TOP dangerous berries from our forest”

Alexander Ivanovich
Hello, Alexander!
I read the article with interest. I know almost all these plants by sight. And I don’t ignore the rule
But I will definitely show my grandchildren these dangerous forest inhabitants. She and her parents often travel to forest areas.
Thanks for the great article!

Reply ↓
blacksmiths
Alexander, I once foolishly ate bearberry in the Kich-Gorodetsky district. I even thought it was delicious. Then I vomited all evening.

Reply ↓
Alexander
@: Alexander Ivanovich, hello! Glad to see you on my blog! Absolutely right, it definitely needs to be shown.

Reply ↓
Alexander
@: Alexander, hello! You are, of course, absolutely right. Bearberry is a berry, although not poisonous, but not edible. So she will have a place in my TOP...
Unfortunately, I don't get it for some reason. There is a lot of it in the Ostashevo forests. But you can’t turn there quickly... Bearberry is a very good medicinal plant. Yes, and it’s very interesting with its features. I just don’t really want to write an article with “borrowed” photographs. Maybe I'll meet you in the forest.

Reply ↓
Olga Bogach
A very useful article! Children who grew up in the city do not know what they can and cannot eat in the forest. And in cities there are bushes with pretty berries, which can cause poisoning. My daughter tried some berries from the bush when she was a child, and it’s good that she wasn’t too poisoned and didn’t have to see a doctor.

Reply ↓
Natabul
I didn’t even know that so many poisonous berries existed. But I know one rule: There is nothing in the forest!

Reply ↓
Igor
Alexander, thank you very much for the article. As an avid mushroom and berry picker, this article will be very useful to me. In nature, we often saw raven's eye and honeysuckle. In the south there is lily of the valley.
So in our forest there is one poisonous berry that everyone avoids. To be honest, I didn’t find it in your TOP. We call her "wolf's bast"
Here is the image
or here
What kind of berry is this?
One of our friends was very badly poisoned by it. I went into the forest. Well, there’s nothing, he says: no lingonberries, no blueberries...nothing. She take and eat these berries. In general, I was very poisoned. She fell into a coma. But then somehow I got out.
Now I have stopped going to the forest altogether. Honestly, I don’t understand why, it’s so cool there!

Reply ↓
Alexander
@ : Hello Olga! That's right, as children, adults explained such things to us in passing - you can't eat this, this...
As for the various berries in the city, you should not eat anything there. Even obviously edible. After all, plants absorb large amounts from the air. harmful substances. And they even accumulate them. the main objective landscaping - purify the air. And plants are selected that can withstand this polluted air.

Reply ↓
Alexander
@: Well, there aren’t that many poisonous berries in the forest... But they do exist. Why not eat, say, strawberries, blueberries or raspberries in the forest? Cheers to your health! You can’t taste unfamiliar berries!

Reply ↓
Alexander
@: Hello, Igor! I had to tinker a little with the publication of your comment, and still only one link went through, and that was changed (closed from indexing). The second, even closed, turns out to be a bat. So I deleted it. Although both were opened from the admin panel.
Essentially. Not quite, though, I understand how your friend could have been poisoned by two completely different plants at the same time? In the first photo, there is undoubtedly an arctous - a plant of the heather family, close to the bearberry, common in the tundra. Judging by the information that I found, it is inedible or inedible, but not poisonous. Just like our forest bearberry.
I have not yet been able to accurately identify the plant in the second photo. This photo wanders around the internet from site to site, and it’s the same one, apparently. With captions like “wolf’s bast”, “wolfberry”. But this is not a wolf’s bast (it’s also a wolfberry)! The only thing these plants have in common is the color of the berries! Agree, this is not enough! Thus, we get what in military language is called “disinformation” (that is, disinformation). In the case of poisonous plants - and wolf's bast is highly poisonous! — such misinformation is not safe, unfortunately. That's why I wanted to publish that photo.
Perhaps I will do this when I can still accurately identify the plant.
It is difficult to judge from the photograph what life form plants - what is it: a herbaceous plant, a shrub like lingonberry or a shrub. If you have seen it in nature, please write.
But most of all it looks like some kind of honeysuckle. And by the leaves, by their location. And by the fruits.

Reply ↓
Alexander
By the way, it is possible to fall into a coma after eating berries. Provided that the person is allergic to them. Unfortunately, sometimes he may not even know about it! There are people who have an allergic reaction to raspberries, strawberries, etc. And, alas, it can occur not only in the form of red spots on the skin... It can even be anaphylactic shock, but this is fraught with the most serious consequences. So, Igor, your friend should probably consult an allergist.

Reply ↓
Svetlana
Why do some people eat nightshade? I know people like that. We have a lot of it. Maybe it can be of several types?

Reply ↓
Alexander
@ : Hello Svetlana! There is another nightshade - black. Its berries can be eaten; they are also used as a filling for pies. But only ripe, black berries are suitable for food. The unripe leaves and stems of the plant contain the poisonous alkaloid soladinine. Black nightshade has white flowers, not purple like bittersweet.

Reply ↓
Igor
@ :
I don’t know, but this berry grows everywhere here. That's what people call it. Unfortunately, I am not a biologist, so I can’t argue with you.
Low growing shrub. It grows everywhere in the forest. It grows on the hills 50 meters from my house. Often found together with lingonberries. But it’s easy to distinguish - the berries are soft. Not like a strong lingonberry. If you press on these, they will immediately crush. They will come out with white pulp. The size of a lingonberry. The shape is imperfectly spherical.
What else…
And about the coma...Perhaps you are right - allergies. This was a long time ago, it is difficult to verify this fact.

Reply ↓
Alexander
@: Igor, thanks for the description. I'll try to find something in the literature. But I say that it looks like some kind of honeysuckle. And of our honeysuckles, only one is edible - with blue oblong berries, it is from the Far East, but is very widely spread by humans. The rest are inedible.
And the plants in the photographs are really different... I am writing about the second photo, the link to which I had to delete (it opens from the admin panel, after publication it says “not found”). But this is definitely not a wolf's bast! There are a number of plants that have the local name “wolf berries” (by the way, so does forest honeysuckle!). And since the country is large, it is still difficult to deal with all the wolfberries. It's not about the name. Just don’t take a berry that you don’t know for sure is edible! There are quite a lot edible mushrooms, which we call toadstools and never collect. And nothing bad happens to us. As they say, it’s better to be on the safe side in this matter...

Reply ↓
Alexander
@: If you mean the first picture (the link from your first comment opens) - this is an arctous. Creeping shrub, widespread throughout the Arctic. Close to bearberry. And apparently, like her, it is inedible. However, I read that Eskimos eat... But it was still not an Eskimo who wrote this. And many plants that we would never eat now were often eaten by our grandparents (and my parents, too), for example, during the hungry war years

Reply ↓
Igor
Alexander, you can make tree-like comments. I'm probably not the only one who gets confused in the comments. Where is the answer and where is the question, I understand only by meaning. It is very difficult to have a discussion.
Thank you.

Reply ↓
Alexandra Polina
I haven’t seen many of the berries listed - but you should take note, who knows? In general, we try to stick to the rule with our children - don’t pick or eat anything unfamiliar in the forest - for one edible berry- five dangerous ones come across.

Reply ↓
Alla
But as a child, we ate nightshade, only black. And alive, thank God. But belladonna... Now I’ll know what it is, otherwise I’ve only heard and read.
In general, I try not to take anything unfamiliar in the forest.

Reply ↓
Alexei
Interesting article! As a child, my father often showed me which berries were poisonous and which were not. Most often in the forests of the Tyumen region, crow's eye is found, less often - wolfberry.

Reply ↓
Vadar
Wow, there are so many poisonous berries in the forest! Thanks for introducing us to them!

Reply ↓
Anatoly
When I was a child, my parents took me and my brother to the forest. This is how in practice we have mastered the basic rule - If there is even the slightest doubt, then it is better not to touch the plant. Be it berries, mushrooms, or flowers.

Reply ↓
Galina
Good night =)
Interesting article, yes. I was planning to open a similar topic for myself, and tell there that in our forests you shouldn’t put anything in your mouth (and in general, touch it again), but I haven’t had time yet, and here summer is already coming to an end, now that If I see something dangerous in the forests, then I’ll write =) if, of course, I recognize plants =) after all, I’m still a botanist =)) and sometimes my attentiveness is lame

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Alexei
The information is very instructive and the photographs are a good visual accompaniment. Many have become very disconnected from nature. This is why poisoning occurs, because some poisonous berries look so appetizing.

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Dmitriy
Familiar berries. From childhood I was taught to pass by.

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Alexander
As a child, my friend and I ate some wolf berries, 10-15 pieces each, and nothing happened to us.
We thought then that these were wolfberries, but now from the article with pictures I realized that it was “forest honeysuckle”))
We have a lot of crow's eye in the Urals, and nightshade, as far as I remember, was dark in color. Either blue or black. I tried it too))

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1. Alexander
  Alexander! One of the names of forest honeysuckle is wolfberry. Not very poisonous - rather inedible. may cause diarrhea and vomiting. But 10 berries is not the right dose.
  There is also a black nightshade (another species). It should not be confused - bittersweet nightshade, with red berries, poisonous. However, the unripe fruits of black nightshade are also red and also poisonous!

The name wolfberry refers to several plants at the same time. This is what they call belladonna, buckthorn, and raven's eye. But most often this is what is called wolf's bast or common wolfberry. In appearance, it looks like a low-branched deciduous shrub, the maximum height of which is 1.2 m. The plant is a representative of the Volchnikov family. The bush produces narrow dark green leaves, which are attached by short petioles at the very top of the shoots. The bark of the plant is very durable and has a dark brown, almost black tint, which gave rise to the plant being called bast.

In central Russia, the plant blooms in early spring, before the leaves appear. Flowers can be white or pink, which differ pleasant aroma, but with prolonged inhalation they cause headache. The plant is pollinated by bees and the collected honey is not toxic. In mid-summer, bright red fruits ripen.

Chemical composition of berries

The beautiful appearance of the berries attracts attention, but you should know that wolfberry is a poisonous plant. In the old days, arrow spears were lubricated with its juice before going hunting.

Description chemical composition, which makes the plant so poisonous:

meserein - has a strong irritating effect, after which redness and small pimples appear on the skin, and when inhaling bark dust, it irritates the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract;
Daphnin glucoside - has antibacterial properties, but at the same time causes bleeding.

Wolfberry also contains tannins, flavonoids, mineral salts, wax, and gum.

But thanks to its special composition, the plant has not only poisonous properties, but also medicinal ones. Therefore, it is widely used in homeopathy. In pharmacies you can purchase products made from wolfberry, which effectively treat skin diseases, as they relieve inflammation and eliminate different kinds suppuration.

Consequences of eating wolfberry

Wolfberry berries have a pronounced burning taste, so it is unlikely that anyone will be able to eat them in large quantities. But to intoxicate the body, it is enough to consume 3 berries, which causes poisoning digestive system.As a result, a person experiences the following symptoms:

nausea;
excessive salivation;
stomach cramps;
diarrhea;
limb spasms;
burning sensation in the mouth;
swelling of the oral cavity;
vomit;
dizziness.

When small particles of the plant come into contact with the mucous membrane of the eye, conjunctivitis develops. Under the influence of an intoxicant it is affected nervous system human, metabolic processes deteriorate, and sometimes renal failure occurs.

An adult body is able to resist the effects of poison, but if a child eats wolfberry, serious health consequences can occur, including death, depending on the amount of fruit eaten.

First aid for poisoning

After the first symptoms of poisoning appear, you need to know what first aid should be provided to the victim before the doctor arrives in order to avoid more serious complications:

1. Thoroughly rinse the stomach with a weak solution of potassium permanganate 0.01% per 1 liter of water, which will help remove undigested remains of wolfberries from the stomach.
2. It is necessary to provide the person with plenty of fluids, which will help quickly remove toxins from the body.
3. During the first hour after eating berries, you need to drink three times Activated carbon at the rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of weight.
4. To stop vomiting, you should swallow small pieces of ice.
5. If the skin is damaged, it is necessary to wash it under running water, and then with a solution of potassium permanganate in a ratio of 0.02% per 1 liter of water.

If the body is intoxicated with wolfberries, it is prohibited to carry out therapy with diuretics or laxatives, as this will further complicate the situation.

Mulberry ( Mulberry tree) - useful properties and application

Medicinal properties

Since ancient times, wolf berries have been used in folk medicine for certain diseases. They have analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, so their use is effective for rheumatism, gout, and radiculitis. In some cases, the use of wolfberry preparations is allowed for the treatment of scrofula, purulent tonsillitis, esophageal tumors and thrombophlebitis.

For treatment, it is necessary to collect the bark of the bush before the sap begins to flow in the branches, so the optimal period for this is January-February, and the berries must be picked when ripe. The collection of raw materials must be carried out while observing certain precautions:

work only with gloves and a respirator;
after completing the procedure, wash your hands thoroughly several times with soap;
dry separately from other products and in inaccessible place for children.

Before starting treatment with wolfberry-based drugs, it is recommended to consult a doctor who will determine the dosage and duration of therapy based on individual characteristics patient.

In most cases folk remedies Wolfberry is used externally. To treat skin diseases, inflammation and suppuration, it is recommended to prepare a tincture with alcohol:

pour 70 g of crushed dry wolfberry bark into a container;
pour 250 ml of medical alcohol;
Close the lid tightly and leave for 14 days;
Apply as a lotion to problem areas of the skin.

Based on this tincture, you can prepare an ointment for the treatment of gout and rheumatism. This requires 1 part medicinal tincture Mix with 2 parts butter; this product should be stored in the refrigerator, separate from other products. Lubricate problem areas three times a day.

Wolfberry is a plant that can cause harm if used improperly, but if all precautions are taken, it is effective. medicine and provides significant health benefits. IN Lately The shrub remains on the verge of extinction, therefore it requires special treatment; it should not be used without certain knowledge in this area.