Dioscorea communis (Syn. Tamus) (Black Bryony). Today’s Poisonous #oneadayplant . Some plants are beautiful and harmless, others are dull and dangerous. Some, like this, when in fruit, are gorgeous, but deadly. In some European countries the young shoots of the plants are cooked and eaten. I do NOT recommend that you try this yourself. ALL parts of this plant are toxic if eaten and it is known to cause contact dermatitis as well when handled, making my gloveless hand in the picture all the more inappropriate. I was fine, but you should, as I did, wear gloves if removing this from your garden. . I think these rounded berries on female plants are very beautiful and are produced in great abundance in a Fagus (Beech) hedge that I have so I carefully remove it each year for new plants to return most years. . A dangerous beauty. . There are quite a number of berried plants native to the UK that will harm or even kill you if you ingest them. As always, unless you are completely sure you know what you are doing, never eat anything in the countryside or garden. All too easy for things to go wrong. Learn your native plants and you will have a useful knowledge base to work from including what to avoid. . This is a perennial climbing plant that grows from tuberous bodies beneath the soil. Leaves are heart-shaped, similar to bindweed. Flowers are pretty insignificant and held on racemes as you can see on the image having been pollinated by a male plant and turned into clusters of berries perpendicular to the stem. . Enjoy from afar. . #poisonousplants #toxic #poisonous #blackbryony #tamuscommunis #dioscoreacommunis #climber #berries #donoteat #uknative #flora #nativeplant #european #plants #weeds #hedge #climbing #tuber #dangerous #wildflower (at Crowborough, East Sussex) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFRfmGDgWIV/?igshid=1x3bu5f0z1e0d
