WTF is this.. Can anyone identify it for me..

[[wingnut]]

Can anyone help tell me what this things is that is currently growing in my parents back garden...


The fruit from the plant


The plant itself.

We have looked in varioud books and interent site and seen a few things similar to it, but none matching it. If anyone could shed some light on it, that would be cool.

I have probably posted this in the wrong section.. If I have sorry and feel free to move to where it belongs.

[ffrr]

at a glance I'd say it was ricinus, more likely the communis variety, the fruit is extremely posionous, hence ricin! Make sure you wash your hands after touching the fruit or the plant.



But then on the other hand is has characteristics of fatsia, but the fruit is not right.

I'll ask my supervisor tomorrow if he knows, he's a plant freak, he knows thousands types of plants and thier correct latin names.

[wiggi28]

is it from day of the triffids or little shop of horrors ?
either way id stay away if i were you

[ffrr]

ricinus is what natives have used for generations to poison the tips of thier arrows when hunting. It's a very effective poison.

If you ate just one fruit, that's it! Unless a miracle happend you'll be dead in a few hours.

Nice to know huh! And believe it or not they actually plant these in the sea front bedding displays, I prep these up twice a year through summer and winter. I'd say there were 10 or so of these plants in the main section within easy reach to anyone who cares to touch them, and no warning signs! .... fucking crazy... although these are not the only poisonous plants I work with, there are quite a few. I had euphorbia poisioning a few months back, VERY natsy is all I'm saying, but again planted smack in the middle of a public garden for all to touch if desired!

[EnErGiZeR]

Looked like a fucking concur to me.

Yes you're right, plant's aint my strong point lol.

[Shambles]

Looks like a prickly custard apple


http://www.driftwoodgardens.com/soursop.htm

[[wingnut]]

Reading this first couple of post I got really worries.. Ricin.. Aghhhh Dad and i were both touching it and I cut it open.. But...... I'm still here so hopefully not a ricin based plant then.
Not sure it's a custard apple as we used to sell them and if my memory serve me right they were alot bigger.. The best I could come up with was this.



It's a Marah macrocarpus. But it still doesn't look right as there are only larger seeds in that one compared to the vast abunance of smaller seeds in mine..
The hunt is still on..

[[wingnut]]

If it helps Mum said the flowers were white in colour and once they died off these green fruit things appeared...

Also they live in Woolacombe, North Devon, with Sandy soil at sea level.

[freedive]

you've discoverd a new plant, it could make you millions!

...and for that i think you should call it freebidus divenitis

[blaggard]

Triffidus large bastardus

[Mule]

what does it taste like?

[ffrr]

mystery solved... my supervisor took one look at the pic and knew what it was... bastard lol

it's a Thorn Apple



it is poisonous so-still be careful, apparently it's a common weed? I have never seen it though...

[[wingnut]]

Cheers mate, much appreciated. Will pass the name and warning onto my parents tonight.. K+ coming your way.

[shadowdancer]

from a bit of googling it appears as dangerous as the plant mentioned earlier.
looks quite cool though

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/orga...weed.php?id=82
and
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/t/thorna12.html

The plant is poisonous to humans, horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, mules and chickens. Livestock normally avoid it but may be poisoned by eating contaminated hay, silage or seed screenings. Toxicity varies with growing conditions. In Japan, it has been found that an extract of thorn-apple can halt the growth of certain types of brain tumour.

at least it can halt the growth of some brain tumours

and

Thornapple
POISON!
Botanical: Datura stramonium (LINN.)
Family: N.O. Solanaceae
(The dried leaves are not regarded as poisonous. - EDITOR.)

so the dried leaves arent bad for you, so best dry them out before you smoke them

its good that you can come to the forum and learn something new, maybe be should have a sub section for people to post pics of plants and insects and the other members can guess them. bit of education for everyone