There are many plants, such as Euphorbia, that have a latex that when in contact with the skin causes itching and redness.
If you go hiking for a couple of days or more and suddenly you get hungry and have nothing to eat, you will have to eat wild plants. But beware you have to be very careful with some of them since not all of them are beneficial for the human body. In fact, there are several that are potentially lethal.
As you should not take unnecessary risks, I will tell you how to know if a plant is edible.
There are many edible flowers, but when in doubt it is best not to handle them.
The first thing to know: plants that give off a foul odor, such as Arum, are not edible. Their fleshy leaves may look appetizing, but if we ate them we would have to go to the hospital as quickly as possible. To avoid this, the safest and fastest way to know if a plant is edible is by doing the following:
- Cut a stem from a plant, and run it through your arm: If your skin becomes red, itchy or you feel any kind of reaction, wash well with soap and water.
- In the event that there has been no reaction, cut a piece of leaf and put it in your mouth to chew for 15 minutes (do not swallow): the same, if you feel any unpleasant sensation, suspend the test.
- If all goes well, swallow that piece of leaf and wait 8 hours: during that time you just have to drink mineral water. At the first sign of discomfort, induce vomiting and drink plenty of water.
- If no problem arises, eat 1/4 of the plant and wait 8 hours: At this point it is most likely an edible plant, but problems may arise when chewing or ingesting the stems. In the event that it happens, it is important to induce vomiting and drink plenty of water.
Be careful with the fruits
In general, the fruits of mature trees are not toxic, such as oak acorns for example.
Not all plant fruits are edible, so It is always much more advisable to take those that we know. In case of doubt, we can use mobile applications such as PlantNet or ArbolApp.
To finish, I leave you with two links: the comestible flowers and of Edible plants. Enjoy them.
I hope that now it is easier for you to know if a plant is edible 🙂.