Is the alocasia plant poisonous or not and how dangerous is it to grow at home for family members?
Alokazia, shamrock, weatherman - indoor flower, which occupies a special place in flower arrangements. Tall plant, very beautiful leaves make alocasia desirable for the grower. Paying attention to warnings from experts that alocasia is a poisonous plant or not, depends on the decision of the amateur.
Indoor plants and their importance in human life
Intuitively, plants for home cultivation were selected with beneficial properties. Travelers carefully delivered flowers from other continents not only for their beauty and healing properties. On the other hand, if a pet has properties to heal, absorb harmful substances from the air, collect and process tobacco smoke, then processed products become available in small quantities. Any poison can be a medicine in micro doses, and kill if taken in large quantities.
Before you bring home a new plant, you need to ask about its effect on humans, children and pets. Many flowers and their healing powers are legendary based on facts. It is known that human waste products accumulating in an apartment poison the air. Plants, absorbing secretions, instead saturate the air with oxygen, its ions, and release phytoncides that kill bacteria.
One of the flowers that is dangerous and healing is the weatherman. In nature, there are warning signs of danger. Bright coloring is considered one of the signs. The shamrock loves free placement and with its bright leaves warns that it is dangerous. How poisonous alocasia is, whether it can be kept in a home, we will figure it out with the help of experienced florists.
The chemical composition of the plant and its action
All botanists and florists warn about the dangers of working on flower care without latex or rubber gloves. Not only the sap of the plant is poisonous, but its evaporation from the root when planting plants. When cut, there is a characteristic smell of cyanide present.
However, in folk medicine, the trefoil is considered a valuable raw material for obtaining dosage forms:
- tinctures on alcohol or vodka;
- water extract;
- ointments.
Pure juice is not used due to its exceptional pungency. The poisonous substances of alocasia accidentally hitting the eye in any quantity can cause blindness. Having licked a drop of moisture released on the surface of a leaf, a person is doomed to prolonged torment. Therefore, the plant should stand in places inaccessible to animals and people. In life, situations like this should not arise. For a flower grower with his own blog, this is an unforgivable frivolity in relation to his own child.
The leaves of alocasia contain an explosive mixture of mercuric chloride, an active mercury compound, mercury dichloride, and hydrocyanic acid, the strongest poison.In micro doses, these poisons have a healing effect, they destroy cells of neoplasms, since young cells are unstable to their effects. The sparse information about the mechanism of action of these powerful poisons allows only using the age-old wisdom of herbalists, not exceeding the recommended dose.
It is due to potent poisons in low concentration that healing occurs where drug treatment is sometimes powerless. However, to consider it possible, to prescribe medication for oneself, using open sources of information, borders on suicide.
How dangerous the preparation of mercuric chloride can be understood from an example: in the century before last, mercuric chloride was prescribed to patients in a dosage, a speck of mercuric chloride put on the eye of a needle was dissolved in half a liter of water, later it was diluted before taking it.
Cyanides, and one of them is hydrocyanic acid, are substances that can cause instant paralysis and respiratory arrest. In a small dose, as part of other components of the green pharmacy, it is used as a drug for treatment.
The volatile aroin ester present in the composition softens the effect of poisons, which has its own effect. The plant contains many other biologically active substances, each of which has a specific effect.
Warned, the florist will be critical in choosing a home plant. A beautiful plant can be useful in a difficult life situation. But knowing the danger posed by him, it is necessary to take measures, limit access to the flower and take care of the plant with caution.
One type of alocasia that is readily kept at home is polly alocasia, a poisonous plant with tuber-like roots. This hybrid has up to 7 ornamental leaves; it is not used for treatment. Traditional healers use only one variety of plants - large-rooted alocasia, the leaf of which in natural conditions grows up to two meters long.
If the content of the alocasia flower meets all its requirements, it can release a peduncle, an ear in the sheets. At this time, the secreted phytoncides are so strong that the aroma of the plant can cause headaches for others. The flowering plant must be removed from the room where people are. The flower can be arranged on the balcony, in the winter garden, but not left at home.
Place alocasia in the apartment, bathroom or kitchen. It can be placed in the living room, but not in the nursery or bedroom. At night, the plant breathes and takes oxygen from your living space with its large leaves. And in the nursery, this flower will become a time bomb. A curious child will get there someday and taste a beautiful leaf.
Knowing about the dangers that are associated only with improper plant maintenance, you can take precautions, and alocasia will become the center of your green corner in the apartment.