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Plants That Kill: A Natural History of the World's Most Poisonous Plants
A full-color illustrated guide to the natural history of the most poisonous plants on earth
This richly illustrated book provides an in-depth natural history of the most poisonous plants on earth, covering everything from the lethal effects of hemlock and deadly nightshade to the uses of such plants in medicine, ritual, and chemical warfare.
Featuring hundreds of color photos and diagrams throughout, Plants That Kill explains how certain plants evolved toxicity to deter herbivores and other threats and sheds light on their physiology and the biochemistry involved in the production of their toxins. It discusses the interactions of poisonous plants with other organisms--particularly humans--and explores the various ways plant toxins can target the normal functioning of bodily systems in mammals, from the effects of wolfsbane on the heart to toxins that cause a skin reaction when combined with the sun's rays. This intriguing book also looks at plants that can harm you only if your exposure to them is prolonged, the ethnobotany of poisons throughout human history, and much more.
A must for experts and armchair botanists alike, Plants That Kill is the essential illustrated compendium to these deadly and intriguing plants.
Provides an authoritative natural history of the most poisonous plants on earth
Features hundreds of color illustrations throughout
Looks at how and why plants produce toxins
Describes the effects of numerous poisonous plants, from hemlock and deadly nightshade to poppies and tobacco
Explains poisonous plants' evolution, survival strategies, physiology, and biochemistry
Discusses the uses of poisonous plants in medicine, rituals, warfare, and more
This richly illustrated book provides an in-depth natural history of the most poisonous plants on earth, covering everything from the lethal effects of hemlock and deadly nightshade to the uses of such plants in medicine, ritual, and chemical warfare.
Featuring hundreds of color photos and diagrams throughout, Plants That Kill explains how certain plants evolved toxicity to deter herbivores and other threats and sheds light on their physiology and the biochemistry involved in the production of their toxins. It discusses the interactions of poisonous plants with other organisms--particularly humans--and explores the various ways plant toxins can target the normal functioning of bodily systems in mammals, from the effects of wolfsbane on the heart to toxins that cause a skin reaction when combined with the sun's rays. This intriguing book also looks at plants that can harm you only if your exposure to them is prolonged, the ethnobotany of poisons throughout human history, and much more.
A must for experts and armchair botanists alike, Plants That Kill is the essential illustrated compendium to these deadly and intriguing plants.
Provides an authoritative natural history of the most poisonous plants on earth
Features hundreds of color illustrations throughout
Looks at how and why plants produce toxins
Describes the effects of numerous poisonous plants, from hemlock and deadly nightshade to poppies and tobacco
Explains poisonous plants' evolution, survival strategies, physiology, and biochemistry
Discusses the uses of poisonous plants in medicine, rituals, warfare, and more
224 pages, Hardcover
First published July 31, 2018
39 people are currently reading
1606 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 11, 2021
This is a must-have...if you are a misanthropic botanist with an extensive poison book collection and a nerdy interest in organic chemistry. How marvelous would it be to leave this book lying casually out on the coffee table so that guests might peruse it while you put up tea and scones in the kitchen? Are those cranberries in the scones or baneberries? Hmm...
Plants That Kill is basically an Eyewitness book for toxicophile adults. There are lots of glossy photos of the plants in question, but also vintage botanical illustrations, chemical structures, and the odd historical tidbit. Sections are organized by how plants wage war on the body: plants that tangle up your nervous system, target a specific organ, muck things up at the cellular level, etc. Within each are species accounts as well as family-level portraits (baneberries, for example, Actaea rubra, are in the Ranunculaceae or buttercup family, which contains many poisonous members - see p. 124-125 for details).
Just the right amount of detail (I think) is included. I flipped first to the plants I actively work with: poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), castor bean (Ricinus communis), and tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca) are all invasive and common on the creeks where I work. Hemlock is probably my pick among the three. This plant can be distinguished from others in the carrot family by its hollow stems flecked with purple. Its alkaloid coniine is quite a simple molecule, an aromatic ring with an alcohol functional group tacked on the end of a short carbon chain. Yet it causes muscle paralysis that eventually extends to the muscles involved in breathing; Socrates is its most famous victim. Apparently therapeutic use has been attempted, but the authors note drily, "As it was used for asthma, epilepsy, and whooping cough, it is not hard to imagine that this 'treatment' actually contributed to the risks of these diseases."
Castor bean, in the Euphorbiaceae family, is altogether a different player. Its active compound ricin is a poisonous protein called a lectin, a much bigger molecule than coniine. It invades cells, inactivates the ribosomes (responsible for producing all proteins in the cell), and causes cellular death - first of your digestive tract cells, and then, as it enters your circulatory system, multiple organs. Castor oil, however, which is stripped of ricin, is widely used by humans for everything from laxatives to biodiesel. There is also a mention (of course) of the lurid assassination of Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov, who was stabbed in the ankle with an umbrella tip that embedded a ricin pellet under his skin. It took him four days to die of multiple organ failure.
And tree tobacco, like other members of the Solanaceae or nightshade family (which includes peppers, potatoes, and belladonna), has piperidine alkaloids, which act as a stimulant. Nicotine is the most famous of these alkaloids, which are thought to have evolved for defense against insect herbivory. In the plant form, nicotine is most likely to cause vomiting, thus preventing lethal poisoning, but pure nicotine is very toxic and nasty stuff indeed.
Plants That Kill has everything but dosage information (sorry!). It strikes a nice balance between scientific rigor and interesting facts, and is less sensational and more informative than Amy Stewart's breezy Wicked Plants, written with a foundational understanding of botany and chemistry. I was unsurprised to discover that the authors are toxicologists. It's also just an attractive book to flip through casually, like a bedtime book for wicked botanists.
One point that I find especially compelling is this: plants are absolutely incredible organic chemistry factories, pumping out a multitude of novel compounds, many of which have not even been identified, much less tested for effects on humans. We don't know most of these synthesis pathways and cannot recreate these molecules. Because plants are stationary, their defenses are largely chemical, and extant plants are winners of this evolutionary arms / chemical synthesis race. I urge you to think about this before, say, using essential oils in lieu of 'chemicals.' /cranky botanist rant
Plants That Kill is basically an Eyewitness book for toxicophile adults. There are lots of glossy photos of the plants in question, but also vintage botanical illustrations, chemical structures, and the odd historical tidbit. Sections are organized by how plants wage war on the body: plants that tangle up your nervous system, target a specific organ, muck things up at the cellular level, etc. Within each are species accounts as well as family-level portraits (baneberries, for example, Actaea rubra, are in the Ranunculaceae or buttercup family, which contains many poisonous members - see p. 124-125 for details).
Just the right amount of detail (I think) is included. I flipped first to the plants I actively work with: poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), castor bean (Ricinus communis), and tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca) are all invasive and common on the creeks where I work. Hemlock is probably my pick among the three. This plant can be distinguished from others in the carrot family by its hollow stems flecked with purple. Its alkaloid coniine is quite a simple molecule, an aromatic ring with an alcohol functional group tacked on the end of a short carbon chain. Yet it causes muscle paralysis that eventually extends to the muscles involved in breathing; Socrates is its most famous victim. Apparently therapeutic use has been attempted, but the authors note drily, "As it was used for asthma, epilepsy, and whooping cough, it is not hard to imagine that this 'treatment' actually contributed to the risks of these diseases."
Castor bean, in the Euphorbiaceae family, is altogether a different player. Its active compound ricin is a poisonous protein called a lectin, a much bigger molecule than coniine. It invades cells, inactivates the ribosomes (responsible for producing all proteins in the cell), and causes cellular death - first of your digestive tract cells, and then, as it enters your circulatory system, multiple organs. Castor oil, however, which is stripped of ricin, is widely used by humans for everything from laxatives to biodiesel. There is also a mention (of course) of the lurid assassination of Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov, who was stabbed in the ankle with an umbrella tip that embedded a ricin pellet under his skin. It took him four days to die of multiple organ failure.
And tree tobacco, like other members of the Solanaceae or nightshade family (which includes peppers, potatoes, and belladonna), has piperidine alkaloids, which act as a stimulant. Nicotine is the most famous of these alkaloids, which are thought to have evolved for defense against insect herbivory. In the plant form, nicotine is most likely to cause vomiting, thus preventing lethal poisoning, but pure nicotine is very toxic and nasty stuff indeed.
Plants That Kill has everything but dosage information (sorry!). It strikes a nice balance between scientific rigor and interesting facts, and is less sensational and more informative than Amy Stewart's breezy Wicked Plants, written with a foundational understanding of botany and chemistry. I was unsurprised to discover that the authors are toxicologists. It's also just an attractive book to flip through casually, like a bedtime book for wicked botanists.
One point that I find especially compelling is this: plants are absolutely incredible organic chemistry factories, pumping out a multitude of novel compounds, many of which have not even been identified, much less tested for effects on humans. We don't know most of these synthesis pathways and cannot recreate these molecules. Because plants are stationary, their defenses are largely chemical, and extant plants are winners of this evolutionary arms / chemical synthesis race. I urge you to think about this before, say, using essential oils in lieu of 'chemicals.' /cranky botanist rant
March 3, 2021
This is one fantastic book on plant toxicity. The new edition is a wonderfully illustrated, good quality book for both the experts and the non-professionals alike. It explores through ten chapters the ways in which plant toxins can interact with the normal bodily functions of mammals and it is organized by poisoning mechanisms, it discusses the evolution of these toxins, the biochemistry of the plants. It is simply beautiful! As someone said, it has everything but dosage information and that is true.
It is thoroughly cross-referenced, has case studies for every plant, the skeletal structure of every organic compound is given, it is explored how ethnobotany and modern medicine has used these toxins to the benefit of humanity and so on.
Don't expect fungi. Fungi are not plants and the authors clearly state their chosen subject in the title: A Natural History of the World's Most Poisonous Plants.
Don't expect an entire encyclopaedia of all the toxic plants either, it is only about the most poisonous ones and as such, it really has everything it needs.
There is further reading listed at the end and it has a small glossary with the most often used expressions too. I happily recommend it to everyone.
It is thoroughly cross-referenced, has case studies for every plant, the skeletal structure of every organic compound is given, it is explored how ethnobotany and modern medicine has used these toxins to the benefit of humanity and so on.
Don't expect fungi. Fungi are not plants and the authors clearly state their chosen subject in the title: A Natural History of the World's Most Poisonous Plants.
Don't expect an entire encyclopaedia of all the toxic plants either, it is only about the most poisonous ones and as such, it really has everything it needs.
There is further reading listed at the end and it has a small glossary with the most often used expressions too. I happily recommend it to everyone.
January 22, 2020
At one level I found this book fascinating, at another I thought it seriously short of information.
The science parts of it were extremely detailed, especially the chemistry behind the poisons. The way the book is structured, by grouping plants having similar toxicological affects on not only humans, but animals and even insects, was very informative.
The definition of "plants" includes flowering plants, a few non-flowering plants, and excludes all the moss family. Fungi are excluded. Fair enough given current classification of fungi as a separate kingdom. However, as the kingdom contains some of the most deadly toxins of all, perhaps a little surprising, especially as ergot fungus (not usually fatal these days) finds its way in, but death cap mushrooms (nearly always fatal) are mentioned only to be to be immediately excluded as being outside the remit of the book. In this respect the book could be justifiably accused of lacking focus.
The weakest part of the book in my view is the writing about the plants. Many are briefly mentioned, often in anecdotal asides, but often there is little information on the plants themselves. For example, I saw in a seed catalogue an entry for Actaea (syn. Cimicifuga) species, describing them as very poisonous. I looked up Actaea in this book. I found it under "medically relevant" plants. "And black cohosh (Actaea racemose, syn. Cimicifuga racemose) is used to treat symptoms of menopause, although it has been implicated in a few cases of liver disease; Asian species of Actaea are used for other conditions in traditional Chinese medicine." This quotation is the entire entry for Actaea. Nothing about its poisonous properties, nothing about which parts of the plant are toxic, nothing about where it grows and its growing conditions. This example is symptomatic of the book as a whole. I would have liked much more information about the plants, and less anecdotal information about stuff that is not about poison at all (the Aloe genus bizarrely gets a section to itself on the healing properties of its leaf gel.) Interesting, but certainly not about plants that kill.
From a biological and chemical perspective I found it very interesting. As a botanical and horticultural document I found it seriously lacking.
The science parts of it were extremely detailed, especially the chemistry behind the poisons. The way the book is structured, by grouping plants having similar toxicological affects on not only humans, but animals and even insects, was very informative.
The definition of "plants" includes flowering plants, a few non-flowering plants, and excludes all the moss family. Fungi are excluded. Fair enough given current classification of fungi as a separate kingdom. However, as the kingdom contains some of the most deadly toxins of all, perhaps a little surprising, especially as ergot fungus (not usually fatal these days) finds its way in, but death cap mushrooms (nearly always fatal) are mentioned only to be to be immediately excluded as being outside the remit of the book. In this respect the book could be justifiably accused of lacking focus.
The weakest part of the book in my view is the writing about the plants. Many are briefly mentioned, often in anecdotal asides, but often there is little information on the plants themselves. For example, I saw in a seed catalogue an entry for Actaea (syn. Cimicifuga) species, describing them as very poisonous. I looked up Actaea in this book. I found it under "medically relevant" plants. "And black cohosh (Actaea racemose, syn. Cimicifuga racemose) is used to treat symptoms of menopause, although it has been implicated in a few cases of liver disease; Asian species of Actaea are used for other conditions in traditional Chinese medicine." This quotation is the entire entry for Actaea. Nothing about its poisonous properties, nothing about which parts of the plant are toxic, nothing about where it grows and its growing conditions. This example is symptomatic of the book as a whole. I would have liked much more information about the plants, and less anecdotal information about stuff that is not about poison at all (the Aloe genus bizarrely gets a section to itself on the healing properties of its leaf gel.) Interesting, but certainly not about plants that kill.
From a biological and chemical perspective I found it very interesting. As a botanical and horticultural document I found it seriously lacking.
December 30, 2018
This is a wonderful coffee-table science book that contains: 1. Pretty plant pictures. 2. Molecular diagrams and 3. (my favorite) discussion about the evolutionary origins of different plant toxicants! I highly approve of the way it is organized -- after brief intro-to-the-relevant-science-for-the-layperson chapters, it is organized by different poisoning mechanisms. This is so much better than other books I have read on the topic that are mostly just field guides listing different toxic plants without going into any detail. Everything about this book is just an invitation to learn -- very well done. I wish I had a graduate textbook version.
August 11, 2023
shout out to this book for being a phenomenal writing resource 🫡
did-not-finish
December 22, 2021DNF December 2021 52%
Tried reading this cover to cover and made it to page 116/224
I think I'll keep it on my shelf to just flip through from time to time looking at the pictures and maybe read some bits here and there (or pass is on to someone else?)
It's interesting and the photos are beautiful, but I'm not really retaining any of the information and I’m not sure I even really understand it all (It would probably be better if you have more knowledge of plants/biology/chemistry.)
Tried reading this cover to cover and made it to page 116/224
I think I'll keep it on my shelf to just flip through from time to time looking at the pictures and maybe read some bits here and there (or pass is on to someone else?)
It's interesting and the photos are beautiful, but I'm not really retaining any of the information and I’m not sure I even really understand it all (It would probably be better if you have more knowledge of plants/biology/chemistry.)
April 1, 2019
Have to admit that some of the chemistry went a bit over my head (there's a glossary in the back that might be helpful), but it's a beautifully designed book with a lot of great information on toxic plants and how they affect humans and animals. Recommended.
June 30, 2024
I love this book so much. So informative and goes into so much depth! Not much else to say!
September 20, 2023
Plants That Kill by Elizabeth A. Dauncey/ HB Edition 2018 /
In the Devil’s Garden:
This extraordinary coffee-table book is like a very large field guide of deadly plants.
And some plants can indeed be deadly. Author Elizabeth A. Dauncey published “Plants That Kill” in 2018 to address these issues. Contrary to popular belief plants are not the passive life forms they seem to be. They, like animals, must compete with other plants for scarce resources like light, water, room to grow and protection from herbivores and parasites. Aside from tough outer coverings like bark and thorns all plants use toxic chemicals to discourage competition and overcrowding by their neighbors. With chemistry plants can discourage herbivores by acquiring a bitter toxic taste, inhibit plant growth in its general area and even communicate over distance with others plants of the same species. In essence all plants must do whatever they can to survive. If that means hogging all the space or sunlight for its own survival then so be it. But this book’s main focus is on the plants Chemical Defenses and how those chemicals affect some animal life, including people in a negative way. Being more of a reference book it’s not something that most people would read in one sitting but kinda spot-read whenever needed. Filled to the top with stunning photos, charts and graphs, chemical atomic molecular diagrams and other points of interest. Not a book that would work on an e-reader like my Kindle or iPad but perfect as in the Hard Back Edition.
Last Ranger
In the Devil’s Garden:
This extraordinary coffee-table book is like a very large field guide of deadly plants.
And some plants can indeed be deadly. Author Elizabeth A. Dauncey published “Plants That Kill” in 2018 to address these issues. Contrary to popular belief plants are not the passive life forms they seem to be. They, like animals, must compete with other plants for scarce resources like light, water, room to grow and protection from herbivores and parasites. Aside from tough outer coverings like bark and thorns all plants use toxic chemicals to discourage competition and overcrowding by their neighbors. With chemistry plants can discourage herbivores by acquiring a bitter toxic taste, inhibit plant growth in its general area and even communicate over distance with others plants of the same species. In essence all plants must do whatever they can to survive. If that means hogging all the space or sunlight for its own survival then so be it. But this book’s main focus is on the plants Chemical Defenses and how those chemicals affect some animal life, including people in a negative way. Being more of a reference book it’s not something that most people would read in one sitting but kinda spot-read whenever needed. Filled to the top with stunning photos, charts and graphs, chemical atomic molecular diagrams and other points of interest. Not a book that would work on an e-reader like my Kindle or iPad but perfect as in the Hard Back Edition.
Last Ranger
October 27, 2024
Изключително луксозно издание и май целта му е била просто да бъде красива книга за показване пред хората.
Като книгата "Plants that cure" е пълна със специализирана информация, по-насочена към почитателите на биохимия, фармация и подобни. Книгата е разделена на отделни глави, които се фокусират върху части от тялото, които дадени отровни химикали от растения таргетират, което замисляйки се кои са почитателите на такъв тип книги, не е най-добрата структура. Щеше да е по-добре да бъдат разделени на семейства и от всяко растително семейство да се представят отделните отровни растения, а не да е тотален хаос.
Очаквах много повече от тази книга и съм откровено разочарована. Имаше интересна информация, но беше малко и не толкова свързана със самите отровни растения.
Като книгата "Plants that cure" е пълна със специализирана информация, по-насочена към почитателите на биохимия, фармация и подобни. Книгата е разделена на отделни глави, които се фокусират върху части от тялото, които дадени отровни химикали от растения таргетират, което замисляйки се кои са почитателите на такъв тип книги, не е най-добрата структура. Щеше да е по-добре да бъдат разделени на семейства и от всяко растително семейство да се представят отделните отровни растения, а не да е тотален хаос.
Очаквах много повече от тази книга и съм откровено разочарована. Имаше интересна информация, но беше малко и не толкова свързана със самите отровни растения.
February 15, 2023
ถามว่าอ่านสนุกมั้ย... ก็ไม่ขนาดนั้น แต่สาระแน่นจัด
เล่มนี้เริ่มด้วยระบบร่างกาย ชีวะและเคมีที่ได้ใช้ในเล่มนี้ เนื้อหาส่วนพืชแบ่งตามพิษที่ส่งผลต่อร่างกาย เช่น ส่งผลต่อทางเดินอาหาร ส่งผลต่อประสาทส่วนกลาง ส่งผลต่อเซลล์ ฯลฯ พืชอันนึงก็มีชื่อวิทยาศาสตร์ ลักษณะต้น/ดอก/ใบ และพิษที่ต้นนี้มี [ในเล่มชื่อสารโคตรเยอะ จำไม่หมดจริง ๆ] อาจจะมี fact ที่น่าสนใจเกี่ยวกับพิษนี้ เช่น พิษของพืชอันนี้เคยถูกใช้สังหารปธน. พิษชนิดนี้ทำให้ลูกแกะโตมามีตาข้างเดียว บางต้นก็เป็นพืชบ้าน ๆ บางต้นก็หายากหน่อย มีรูปประกอบ มีอธิบายศัพท์แพทย์ท้ายเล่ม อ่านแล้วนึกถึง GenEd พืชที่เคยลงสมัยมหาลัย แต่ว่าเชื่อมความรู้ลำบากเพราะต้องหาว่าชื่อภาษาไทยแต่ละต้นคืออะไร 555
คนชอบ พืช/ชีวะ/เคมี น่าจะชอบเล่มนี้ ถ้ามี สนพ ไหนแปลไทยก็ดีนะ
เล่มนี้เริ่มด้วยระบบร่างกาย ชีวะและเคมีที่ได้ใช้ในเล่มนี้ เนื้อหาส่วนพืชแบ่งตามพิษที่ส่งผลต่อร่างกาย เช่น ส่งผลต่อทางเดินอาหาร ส่งผลต่อประสาทส่วนกลาง ส่งผลต่อเซลล์ ฯลฯ พืชอันนึงก็มีชื่อวิทยาศาสตร์ ลักษณะต้น/ดอก/ใบ และพิษที่ต้นนี้มี [ในเล่มชื่อสารโคตรเยอะ จำไม่หมดจริง ๆ] อาจจะมี fact ที่น่าสนใจเกี่ยวกับพิษนี้ เช่น พิษของพืชอันนี้เคยถูกใช้สังหารปธน. พิษชนิดนี้ทำให้ลูกแกะโตมามีตาข้างเดียว บางต้นก็เป็นพืชบ้าน ๆ บางต้นก็หายากหน่อย มีรูปประกอบ มีอธิบายศัพท์แพทย์ท้ายเล่ม อ่านแล้วนึกถึง GenEd พืชที่เคยลงสมัยมหาลัย แต่ว่าเชื่อมความรู้ลำบากเพราะต้องหาว่าชื่อภาษาไทยแต่ละต้นคืออะไร 555
คนชอบ พืช/ชีวะ/เคมี น่าจะชอบเล่มนี้ ถ้ามี สนพ ไหนแปลไทยก็ดีนะ
July 17, 2023
The information was interesting. It did take me awhile to read the entire book, but it was worth the effort. I loved the pictures and diagrams (so many pretty plants!). There was a lot of scientific terminology, and the book delved into the chemical makeup of the poisons the different plants produce and how they affect humans or animals. It was fascinating to read that many modern medicines come from poisons, and the difference between harming and healing is the dosage.
October 28, 2021
This book was well worth the purchase. The artwork is fantastic and on big glossy pages. I liked the organization of the information. They grouped the plants by the parts of the body the poison attacks. I write about dark witches and the insight into herbal weapons is super helpful.
July 4, 2023
A surprisingly excellent and brief introduction to botanical science, followed by one or two-page introductions with beautiful formatting, mixed with (factual) stories and drier facts, including the chemical structures. Beautiful book, very interesting, and very fun to explore.
August 16, 2018
This is a breast resource book. Some great and new information included ng that fiddle heads can be poisonous. Not surprising given his they taste!
August 9, 2019
Useful.
November 4, 2020
Als ik kon gaf ik het boek 6 sterren , hoewel ik moeilijk kan controleren of alles up to date is ( klopt) in dit boek
February 25, 2021
dx
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2021
Really good reference book if you are writing about poisons!
September 3, 2021
This book was awesome. I want to dive more into the poisonous plant world
October 28, 2023
An enjoyable read. Goes far deeper into the chemical make-up of the toxins inherent in these plants then is common.
June 3, 2024
Educational
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews