RE: [CH] Poisonous Peppers?
Michael Bailes (frgntgar@ozemail.com.au)
Thu, 12 Nov 1998 18:38:46 +1100
I agree with Michael Bowers - a very sane, knowledgeable, measured response.
It is a common , very persistant urban myth here in Australia that
ornamental chillies are poisionous or cannot be eaten (I have been told
that there are some that don't taste nice but I am yet to make this
discovery myself) This nonsense is often found on nursery labels (Which by
the way are the best source of plant mis-information in OZ). I was even
interviewd on this by a Herald journalist who then went off and still said
ornamental chillies could not be eaten!! and gave me as the
authority!!!!!!@#$%^&*
The whole quetion of poisionous plants is so over rated anyway.
Very few plants are "out to get you".
Even so called" poisionous" ones have medical uses for example
digitalis/foxglove. ( which i have nibbled on and survived).
Too much grog, water or even cleanliness can kill you easier than most
plants. In the States I imagine 10,000 more people die every year from
trumatic, sudden, lead poisioning.
Many books on wild plants and wild plant foraging will give you various
tests( including TASTE testing!) to identify unedible plants
>
> This is a question I get asked a lot... there are no poisonous members
>of the Capiscum family. Some/many ornaental peppers are sold 'not for
>cunsumption'; this may be due to being treated with a systemic pesticide,
>or it
>may just be caution on the part of the wholesaler (I presume the grower would
>know better).
> There are a few plants sold as 'peppers' that are something else. I
>wouldn't think that most are really poisonous, but they may not be really
>great
>for you.
>
> In my experience plants fall in about five catagories:
>
> poisonous - will make you seriously sick or kill you
> not poisonous, but don't really do much for you; might make some people
> sick
> not poisonous, but not really good -- most plants -- they aren't bad
> for you, but they don't taste good either
> edible, but not tasty
> edible, and taste good -- this is most human food
>
>Peppers belong in the last two groups; many ornamentals are in the next to
>last
>group.
>
>Thanks
>
>Mike
>-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
>Michael Bowers Internet: mkbowers@ucdavis.edu
>University of California, Davis Owner: Chile-Heads mailing list
>Chile Heads URL: http://neptune.netimages.com/~chile/
Michael Bailes.
Herbarist
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