Physostigma venenosum
Physostigma venenosum
Safety & Hazards
The seed is highly poisonous[1]. It used to be used in Nigeria in an 'ordeal by poison' where a suspected criminal had to drink a solution of the beans - if it killed them they were guilty but if they survived they were innocent[1]. This probably worked to a certain extent in as much as innocent people were more likely to consume the drink in one gulp and then vomit before too much of the toxin had been absorbed, whilst guilty people were more likely to sip it slowly and cautiously, thereby ensuring that more of the toxins were absorbed[1].
Cultivation Details
Requires a minimum temperature of 15 - 18°c[1]. Prefers a sunny position in a rich, well-drained soil[1].
Propagation
Seed - best sown when ripe[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Physostigma+venenosum>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
- [2]African Flowering Plants Database — Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. · http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php ↩︎Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map.
- [3]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.