Many people like to spend weekends in nature, walking through the forest, picking mushrooms, berries and herbs. However, if we are often warned about mushrooms and informed about dangerous species, then with berries everything is more complicated. At first glance, the beautiful bright fruits seem harmless, and it is very difficult to understand which of them are poisonous. For example, wolfberry is common in our forests, which can cause not only food poisoning, but also be fatal. Therefore, it would be useful to learn more about this forest plant, its positive and negative qualities.

What is wolfberry - why is it called that?

The popular name “wolf berry” combines a large number of berry bushes And herbaceous plants with fruits black, white, red, orange color. These plants did not get their name because they are food for wolves. It’s just that previously it was believed that the wolf personifies evil, deceit, meanness, death, and wolfberry looks harmless, but in fact has a harmful toxic effect.

Description of poisonous shrubs and plants - fruit color, photo

Throughout the summer, many useful fruits ripen. forest berries: strawberries, currants, blueberries, raspberries, lingonberries, bird cherry. Just don’t forget that poisonous berries grow next to them, causing acute poisoning. Even if there are not so many of them, everyone needs to know what they look like, especially if you are taking children outdoors. The list of poisonous fruits is:

• belladonna;
• lily of the valley;
• Boxthorn;
• bittersweet nightshade;
• honeysuckle;
• daphne;
• girl's grapes;
• raven eye;
• calliper;
• buckthorn is brittle;
• snowberry.

Wolf bast or wolfberry - what it looks like

Daphne (wolfberry) is an ornamental evergreen shrub, the maximum height of which reaches 150 centimeters. The stems of the plant are straight, covered with gray bark, and have few branches. The leaves are oblong, alternate, supported on short petioles, and have a smooth and hard surface. In spring, the plant is covered with beautiful tubular, four-petaled flowers. The color of the buds varies from light pink, white to bright pink. By autumn, the flowers ripen into oval, deep red (sometimes yellow) fruits, appearance reminiscent of barberry.

All parts of the bush (bark, stem, flowers, berries, leaves) have toxic properties. For example, wet plant bark pressed against the skin causes severe irritation and pain. When a few drops of wolfberry juice come into contact, a burn occurs, which is characterized by redness, blisters and ulcers. Berries are considered deadly; 5 fruits are enough to cause severe poisoning.

Signs of poisoning by wolf bast fruits are:

• excessive salivation and problematic swallowing;
• pain in the intestines, accompanied by vomiting with blood;
• a feeling of a burn on the mucous membrane of the oropharynx and mouth;
• diarrhea;
• irritation of the conjunctiva of the eye;
• convulsions, weakness, fainting.

Crow's eye

This is perennial small plant, no more than 40 cm high. Crow's eye or cross grass has a long branched root shoot, a straight and smooth stem, crowned with a rosette of four (less often five) leaves. The shape of the leaves of the crow's eye is oval or ovoid, pointed at the ends. The arrangement of the leaves is cross-shaped. A greenish-yellow flower blooms in the center of the peduncle in spring. At the end of July - beginning of August, a round blue-black berry is formed from the flower, up to 1 centimeter in diameter, covered with a mucous coating.

A plant with a “crow” berry is often found in coniferous and deciduous forests, where there are shady place and a lot of moisture. The plant and its berries contain a deadly poisonous substance - the saponin paristifin. A dose of 10 berries is fatal. When poisoning with crow's eye fruits, the following symptoms are observed:

• sore throat;
• burning in the mouth;
• nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain;
• dizziness, significant dilation of the pupils;
• Strong headache;
• diarrhea;
• interruptions in heart rhythm;
• heart failure;
• convulsions;
• cessation of breathing, paralysis of the respiratory center.

Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle is a creeping, erect, climbing shrub that represents the genus Honeysuckle. The plant can have a height of 60 to 120 centimeters, and some varieties grow up to 5 meters. The length of honeysuckle leaves is 2-3 centimeters, located on office petioles, they are oblong, with a bright shade, below – pale. Honeysuckle flowers, like berries, can be varied - white, yellow, blue, pink. The plant blooms in the second half of May.

In mid-summer, honeysuckle bears fruit. Berries have different shapes, color and taste. There are varieties of fruits that are sweet, sour, sweet and sour, with bitterness, aroma of pineapple or strawberry. The color of the fruit is dark blue, red, black, orange. The shape of the berry is spherical or oval. The plant is found in forests, it is grown in nurseries, and used for summer cottages, vegetable gardens. Not all varieties of honeysuckle berries can be eaten; some of them are poisonous. Distinctive feature The edible fruit is the color. They eat only oblong blue and black berries.

Dereza vulgare (goji) - Chinese berry for weight loss

Goji is a non-poisonous plant native to China, and its berries have beneficial properties and are widely used in medicine. The fruits of wolfberry are very similar to barberry, have the same shape and color. The berry contains a huge amount of useful substances, such as:

• minerals (21 items);
• amino acids;
• The fruits contain B vitamins and a lot of vitamin C;
• beta-carotene;
• polysaccharides;
• iron;
• calcium;
• phosphorus;
• monosaccharides;
• selenium.

Chinese doctors recommend using goji berries as a multivitamin supplement to food. It is believed that wolfberry fruits slow down the aging process and can help fight diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer. Chinese nutritionists add goji berries to the diet when losing weight, as they:

• Promote the production of growth hormone, due to which the body burns fat.
• The berry contains a small amount of carbohydrates and has a low calorie content, so it is allowed if you follow the Dukan diet.
• Wolfberry fruits prevent the formation of harmful free radicals, thereby relieving the stress the body endures during dieting.
• Fatty acids in the berry help speed up metabolism and remove toxins.
• Eating wolfberry fruits improves vision.
• Help eliminate dysfunction of the diuretic system.

It is impossible to guarantee 100% weight loss when eating goji berries. The rate of weight loss depends not only on the fruit, but also on the chosen diet, diet, menu, individual characteristics body. On average, when eating berries, you lose 1-2 kilograms per week. During the diet, in parallel with berries, you need to eat only healthy foods, reduce or completely abandon flour products. Physical activity and regular long walks in the fresh air affect the rate of weight loss. The fruits of wolfberry are brewed as tea and added to porridge.

Beneficial properties of wolfberry and its use

Wolfberry actively used in medicine to treat diseases:

• hearts;
• nervous system;
• kidney;
• baked;
• immune system;
• eye;
• joints;
• intestinal tract.

From wolf berries to folk medicine decoctions and tinctures are prepared, which are then used to treat pneumonia, bronchitis, laryngitis, radiculitis, paralysis, sore throat, tinnitus, and cardiovascular diseases. Medicinal properties, as well as toxic, is the entire plant (fruit, root, juice, leaves, stem), which is collected only in dry weather. Due to toxicity official medicine Wolfberries are not used. The fruits are added to homeopathic medicines to treat skin diseases.

• To treat constipation, it is not the berries that are actively used, but the bark of the wolfberry plant. To do this, take dry bark (30 grams) and chop finely. Pour the resulting mixture with 200 grams of 30% alcohol, let it brew for 10 days. Take 1 teaspoon of tincture once a day.
• For increased acidity of gastritis, wolfberry leaves are used. Take 10 grams of dried leaves of oregano, plantain, nettle, wolfberry, add half a glass of water, boil for 10 minutes. Drink the prepared herbal tincture three times a day after meals, 70 ml.

What to do if you have symptoms of poisoning from a poisonous plant

If you do not help a person who has been poisoned by wolfberries in time, death is inevitable. The toxic properties of the plant and its fruits spread throughout the body very quickly. If you have symptoms of poisoning from the berries of any poisonous plant, you should urgently call ambulance or take the victim to the nearest hospital. While you wait for the doctor, do the following:

• Try to empty your stomach of poisonous berries. Induce vomiting. Do a gastric lavage from the fruits: give the victim a lot of water (1-3 liters) with the addition of activated carbon (4 tablespoons per liter) or potassium permanganate, again induce vomiting so that the remaining fruits come out. Do this procedure several times.
• If you have medications, give the patient any cardiac or laxative, because the toxic effect of the plant’s fruits causes cardiac arrest, desiccation of the body and shock.
• When a person experiences convulsions after eating the fruits of a poisonous plant, use chloral hydrate or milk, a starch solution.
• After emergency treatment for poisoning from berries or a plant, put the victim in bed, wrap him in a blanket, cover him with warm heating pads and wait for the doctor.

The fruits are called wolf fruits different plants: privet, wolf's bast, wolfberry and even goji. What does wolfberry look like, which can be dangerous to humans? What forest fruits should you be extremely careful with?

In the photo there is wolfberry (wolfberry)

What kind of berry is called wolfberry?

The commercial name of goji berries is wolfberry. Translated from English - wolfberry. However, Chinese fruits for weight loss have nothing in common with the plant that is found in the forests of the North and middle zone Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and the Caucasus. Enterprising sellers often pass off the fruits of privet, nightshade, and wolf's bast as expensive imported goji.

Wolfberry, the photo of which reflects its external features, is a fruit with a red or black glossy color. It is formed on a shrub with narrow oblong leaves, formed from a flower, filled during the summer and ripened by autumn. At this time, the branches are studded with large bright beads and look especially impressive. Thanks to this property, privet, for example, is planted in gardens for decorative purposes.

In spring, a bush up to 5 meters blooms with beautiful tassels, like lilacs. And in the fall, shiny purple fruits appear in place of the inflorescences.

Common nightshade and wolf's bast produce black fruits with a glossy sheen. They are very dangerous and contain poison that is lethal to humans and animals. Eat or medical purposes They are absolutely not allowed.

Wolfberry: harm and benefits of fruits

Wolfberry, common in our forests, is an extremely poisonous plant. Birds and animals avoid it. The name refers to her ability to cause evil rather than her preference as a predator. The poison of nightshade, wolf's bast, and privet, named after wolf's berry, is strong and fast-acting.

However, black or bright red fruits can be beneficial to humans.

1. In China, they make a special tincture used for eye diseases.

2. There are medications where the poison of the berries is present in minute doses and, in combination with other components, plays a positive role in human health.

3. Experienced gardeners They are used to prepare poisonous compounds in the fight against pests in garden beds.

4. Chinese berries Goji and wolfberry can be consumed without fear for your health in order to lose weight and increase the stability of the immune system.

Wolf berries are the collective name for inedible and poisonous fruits growing in the forest. You have to be careful with them. When walking through the forest, you should avoid bushes.

The name wolfberry refers to several plants at the same time. This is what they call belladonna, buckthorn, and raven's eye. But most often this is what is called wolf's bast or common wolfberry. In appearance, it looks like a low-branched deciduous shrub, the maximum height of which is 1.2 m. The plant is a representative of the Volchnikov family. The bush produces narrow dark green leaves, which are attached by short petioles at the very top of the shoots. The bark of the plant is very durable and has a dark brown, almost black tint, which gave rise to the plant being called bast.

In central Russia the plant blooms in early spring, before the leaves appear. Flowers can be white or pink, which differ pleasant aroma, but with prolonged inhalation they cause headaches. The plant is pollinated by bees and the collected honey is not toxic. In mid-summer, bright red fruits ripen.

Chemical composition of berries

The beautiful appearance of the berries attracts attention, but you should know that wolfberry is a poisonous plant. In the old days, arrow spears were lubricated with its juice before going hunting.

Description chemical composition, which makes the plant so poisonous:

• meserein - has a strong irritating effect, after which redness and small pimples appear on the skin, and when inhaling bark dust, it irritates the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract;
• Daphnin glucoside - has antibacterial properties, but at the same time causes bleeding.

Wolfberry also contains tannins, flavonoids, mineral salts, wax, and gum.

But thanks to its special composition, the plant has not only poisonous properties, but also medicinal ones. Therefore, it is widely used in homeopathy. In pharmacies you can purchase products made from wolfberry, which effectively treat skin diseases, as they relieve inflammation and eliminate different kinds suppuration.

Consequences of eating wolfberry

Wolfberry berries have a pronounced burning taste, so it is unlikely that anyone will be able to eat them in large quantities. But to intoxicate the body, it is enough to consume 3 berries, which causes poisoning of the digestive system. As a result, a person experiences the following symptoms:

• nausea;
• excessive salivation;
• stomach cramps;
• diarrhea;
• limb spasms;
• burning sensation in the mouth;
• swelling of the oral cavity;
• vomit;
• dizziness.

When small particles of the plant come into contact with the mucous membrane of the eye, conjunctivitis develops. Under the influence of the intoxicant, the human nervous system is affected, metabolic processes deteriorate, and sometimes kidney failure is observed.

An adult body is able to resist the effects of poison, but if a child eats wolfberry, serious health consequences can occur, including death, depending on the amount of fruit eaten.

First aid for poisoning

After the first symptoms of poisoning appear, you need to know what first aid should be provided to the victim before the doctor arrives in order to avoid more serious complications:

1. 1. Thoroughly rinse the stomach with a weak solution of potassium permanganate 0.01% per 1 liter of water, which will help remove undigested remains of wolfberries from the stomach.
2. 2. It is necessary to provide the person with plenty of fluids, which will help quickly remove toxins from the body.
3. 3. During the first hour after eating berries, you need to drink three times Activated carbon at the rate of 1 tablet per 10 kg of weight.
4. 4. To stop vomiting, you should swallow small pieces of ice.
5. 5. If the skin is damaged, it is necessary to wash it under running water, and then with a solution of potassium permanganate in a ratio of 0.02% per 1 liter of water.

If the body is intoxicated with wolfberries, it is prohibited to carry out therapy with diuretics or laxatives, as this will further complicate the situation.

Mulberry (mulberry) - beneficial features and application

Medicinal properties

Since ancient times, wolf berries have been used in folk medicine for certain diseases. They have analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, so their use is effective for rheumatism, gout, and radiculitis. In some cases, the use of wolfberry preparations is allowed for the treatment of scrofula, purulent tonsillitis, esophageal tumors and thrombophlebitis.

For treatment, it is necessary to collect the bark of the bush before the sap begins to flow in the branches, so the optimal period for this is January-February, and the berries must be picked when ripe. The collection of raw materials must be carried out while observing certain precautions:

• work only with gloves and a respirator;
• after completing the procedure, wash your hands thoroughly several times with soap;
• dry separately from other products and out of the reach of children.

Before starting treatment with wolfberry-based drugs, it is recommended to consult a doctor who will determine the dosage and duration of therapy based on the individual characteristics of the patient.

In most cases folk remedies Wolfberry is used externally. To treat skin diseases, inflammation and suppuration, it is recommended to prepare a tincture with alcohol:

• pour 70 g of crushed dry wolfberry bark into a container;
• pour 250 ml of medical alcohol;
• Close the lid tightly and leave for 14 days;
• Apply as a lotion to problem areas of the skin.

Based on this tincture, you can prepare an ointment for the treatment of gout and rheumatism. To do this, you need to mix 1 part of the medicinal tincture with 2 parts of butter; this product should be stored in the refrigerator, separately from other products. Lubricate problem areas three times a day.

Wolfberry is a plant that can cause harm if used improperly, but if all precautions are taken, it is effective. medicine and provides significant health benefits. Recently, the shrub remains on the verge of extinction, therefore it requires special treatment; it should not be used without certain knowledge in this area.

And in plant science there is no such thing as “wolfberry”; in fact, it is a collective name for a number of berries that are distinguished by their toxic properties. These include:
- belladonna,
- dereza,
- wolfberry,
- raven eye,
- buckthorn is brittle,
- snowberry.

Berry plants look like shrubs, up to 1.5 meters high with rare and round berries of a bright red hue, sometimes of blue color. In toxicology departments of hospitals you can often see photos of these plants, because they serve common cause poisoning

Daphne

This very poisonous plant is found quite often in the forests of the middle zone. All parts of it are poisonous, both berries and leaves contain a high concentration of toxic substances.

Many people also call the berries “wolf’s bast.”

The berries have a pronounced pungent taste, so even without knowing that it is a berry, it is unlikely that a person will be able to eat it in large quantities. Although, on the other hand, even 10 pieces can cause death, it all depends on.

Symptoms of poisoning appear quickly and are as follows:
- vomit,
- burning in the mouth,
- nausea,
- convulsions,
- weakness and even loss of consciousness.

First aid for poisoning

A person who has eaten wolfberry fruits must be given first aid. Usually, gastric lavage is done to remove toxins using activated carbon or other sorbents. In a hospital setting, a course of therapy is carried out aimed at restoring the natural biochemical composition of the blood.

Skin lesions can be caused by contact with leaves and wolfberry. In this case, blisters and redness appear on the surface, and peeling quickly begins.

You can wash the affected areas of the skin with a solution of potassium permanganate. The dermatologist will prescribe further treatment.

Hazardous components

If we consider the composition of wolfberries, the main substance there will be meserine. This substance is very toxic and causes irritation to the mucous membrane and skin. Other components of wolfberry cause severe bleeding, so in villages, healers gave a decoction of the berries to women who wanted to terminate a pregnancy... often at the cost of their own lives.

Wolfberry is included in some medicines as

As children, we often heard the phrase “wolf berry” when our parents warned us about the danger of poisoning from those beautiful berries that we encountered in a clearing in the forest. What are these “bad berries” and why are they called that?

It turns out that there are quite a lot of plants with poisonous berries in nature and they are all called wolf plants, in honor of such a predatory and death-bringing animal as the wolf. The fruits of the following plants are popularly called wolfberries:

• Privet, also known as wolfberry or wolf's bast
• Buckthorn brittle
• Voronets
• Elder
• Honeysuckle
• Boxthorn
• Whitewing
• Snowberry
• Maiden grapes

And this is not the entire list of poisonous plants.

Plants of the genus Privet are shrubs or small trees, are evergreen or semi-evergreen, and belong to the olive family. This is a poisonous plant, the fruits of which are popularly called “wolf berry”. It poses a danger to humans because it contains the substance solanine, which causes poisoning if it enters the stomach and even the skin. However, the shrub is a great success among gardeners. Its plantings are often used as hedges.

Description and types of common privet

This shrub is deciduous and grows well in shaded areas, usually in oak undergrowth, often reaching a height of 5 meters. The leaves are leathery, oblong, sometimes lanceolate, dark with outside, and light with reverse side. The flowers are small, white, collected in inflorescences in the form of panicles about 6 cm long, the smell is sweet and intoxicating. It blooms for about 20 days, from June to mid-July. The fruits on the branches last until winter, since privet is a winter-hardy plant. Wolfberries are usually black in color with several seeds inside. In general, the shrub resembles lilac in appearance, but does not bloom as profusely and beautifully.

In nature, there are 10 varieties of common privet:

1. pyramidal
2. weeping
3. golden
4. evergreen
5. yellowish
6. yellow-fruited
7. silver-variegated
8. gray
9. golden
10. glaucous - white-edged

Distribution area and breeding methods

Common privet grows in the Caucasus, southern Ukraine, northern Moldova, northern Africa, Asia Minor, middle and southern Europe. The privet bush begins to produce berries only in the seventh year of life. Therefore, to obtain seeds, it is cultivated on an industrial scale. However, growing shrubs from seeds is a long and labor-intensive process. In gardening, the propagation method is often used using cuttings, layering or root suckers.

Wolf berries - benefit or harm?

Privet has proven itself well as a means to destroy various agricultural pests. Infusions are prepared from the berries to combat Colorado potato beetles and other garden insects. Since the infusion is poisonous, when spraying it it is necessary to observe appropriate safety measures and produce it in the early stages of plant development, before the fruits are yet ripe.

In the old days, ordinary writing ink was produced from the black fruits of the privet. Currently, the bush is used as a living fence in gardens and vegetable gardens.

Like many others poisonous plants, wolfberries are used in traditional medicine recipes, especially in homeopathy, observing the correct dosage. Preparations based on various extracts from various parts of this plant are used to treat the following diseases and disorders:

• Diseases of the heart and blood vessels
• Kidney and liver diseases
• Nervous conditions and mental disorders
• Joint diseases
• Eye diseases
• Viral diseases
• Low immunity
• Noise in ears
• Early graying of hair

Traditional medicine also uses tinctures of various parts of this plant to treat diseases of the respiratory system, colds, and skin ailments.

Important! To avoid poisoning, self-medication with this plant is strictly prohibited!

What danger do wolf berries pose?

Since not only the berries, but all parts of the plant contain the poison solanine, this shrub must be handled with extreme caution. It is necessary to remember and warn children that privet is poisonous. Eating just 5 berries causes certain death. The shiny privet is especially poisonous. If you accidentally poison yourself with wolfberries, you must urgently take appropriate measures to cleanse your stomach and call an ambulance.

Symptoms of poisoning

• Severe burning sensation in the mouth
• Gagging
• Difficulty swallowing
• Stomach upset
• Stinging in the eyes and tearing
• Muscle cramps and general weakness

When a plant blooms, you should not lean close to it and inhale the aroma. If plant pollen enters the body when inhaled, this will also cause certain health problems in the form of irritation of the mucous membranes. If the plant juice gets on the skin, it can cause burns, ulcers and painful swelling.

What to do in case of poisoning

If someone unknowingly ate poisonous berry privet, then first of all you need to call an ambulance and then perform the following actions with the poisoned person:

1. Induce vomiting and give the patient a large amount of water with a weak solution of potassium permanganate to drink.
2. Give the patient activated carbon at the rate of 1 tablet per kilogram of weight.
3. If possible, give the victim a cleansing enema.
4. Convulsions and cardiac arrest are possible, so it is advisable to give the patient heart medications according to the instructions for use.
5. After the procedures have been completed, place the person in a calm, horizontal position and wait for an ambulance.
6. If the plant juice gets on your skin, you must immediately wash the affected area with any disinfectant or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Usually in all cases the victim is hospitalized and treated in a hospital.

So, the privet plant can be both useful and extremely dangerous for humans. When contacting it, it is necessary to comply with safety rules, and a mandatory warning about it poisonous properties, both children and adults. Be attentive to the plants around you!