Abrus Species, Crab's Eyes, Precatory Bean, Red Bean Vine, Rosary Pea, Wild Licorice

Yes they're poisonous. About 100 times more toxic than ricin.

But they are also VERY tough seeds--no mammal is known that ...Read Morecan swallow one whole and digest it--thus the warnings about crushing/drilling/grinding etc.

These are a type of seed which is designed to pass through bird crops intact but scarified in order to sprout. I can't be certain, but I doubt that your average adult could chew a seed w/o soaking it or breaking teeth...but I know of no tests. The plant is found around the world in the tropics.

The poison (abrin) is a pair of proteins, abrin-a which acts as a catalyst (doesn't get broken down in use,) which destroys the ability of the cell to create proteins. This protein (or very similar protein) is found in many other species. Without a way into the cell, it's harmless.

Abrin-b protein is the key that lets the a protein into the cells--where it is estimated a single a protein can destroy 1,500 molecules per minute. Since the a protein is still intact when it leaves the cell, a single molecule can destroy hundreds of thousands of cells, which is why the lethal dose is so low.

There have been cases of children killed with a single seed (usually sucking on a necklace or the like--drilled seeds.)

The poison is destroyed by bleach 5% solution. It is otherwise VERY stable, if you were to find seeds in an attic in the north where the conditions varied from -50F to 130F and humidity from 0-100% for many decades, the toxin would still be effective.

"The toxic portion is heat stable to 140°F (60° C) for 30 minutes; at 176° F (80° C) most of the toxicity is lost in 30 minutes. EXTREMELY TOXIC - Lethal dose after oral consumption by humans is approximately 0.005-0.007 mg/kg."

Lethal dose inhaled or injected or absorbed is much lower--the stomach destroys quite a bit of the ingested material. A dose of 350mcg (.35mg--~1/1000th of an aspirin tablet) would be lethal to the majority of 100-150 pound persons.)


Oh, and it's NOT a fast poison! Nor is it painless, it works by preventing cells from functioning and reproducing, so it tends to produce a very painful death over many hours or days depending upon method of introduction.

There is no antidote, although the military has a partially effective vaccine against ricin (which is 100x less potent!)

They are very pretty! I suggest using them in patterns glued and rather than drilling for jewelry I'd mount them like stones. (Drilling the beads releases toxic dust, since it takes so little to be lethal, drilling a number of them would potentially be quite dangerous. If you drill them, I recommend working over a disposable paper or cloth soaked in 10% bleach, and a dust mask. It couldn't hurt to run the drilled beads in a bleach soak for a few minutes (runs some tests to see how long it can soak w/o deforming the bead.) At the least this will reduce the toxin available.

Medically, ricin-a (from castor beans,) which is similar to abrin-a has been tested against tumors, and ricin-b and abrin-b are being studied as potential carriers for medicines into cells--which would permit lower dosages, and perhaps even target particular organs.

MEDICAL RESPONSE TO EXPOSURE
http://www.setonresourcecenter.com/msdshazcom/htdocs//Agent/...

Realistically, reasonable care to keep them intact and you'd be better rewarded by paying attention to how close you are to the car in front of you (3 seconds back!

This plant,like many members said,is dangerous.But,not only a regular poison plant.It is one of the more powerful poison plant with not a...Read Moreny cure if ingested ,or crack and smell the powder or if you have wounded hands and penetrate your skin.
I can believe one seller ,FROM FLORIDA,offer this plant for sale.Some people don`t care about the health of another people,when can make some income in their side or just ignore the information about it.
THIS PLANT IS WEED(spread like a bush fire in a pine forest),DANGER,HIGH POISON AND ILLEGAL TO SELL,TRADE,CARRY OR EXPORT TO ANY STATE.
The poison is LETHAL.
In others country's the mortal rate ,where this plant grow ,is very,very high.But doctors have not idea how to distinguish between the poison of this plant and the effects in the patients.And many time the death are cataloged like other cause.
The same happen in USA.
To gave an idea,we can call this plant "green ANTHRAX",to gave you an idea how bad is.

I don't have any experience growing this plant yet, but I will as soon as the sun stays out for more than 1 day a week.

Pi...Read Morectures don't do the seeds justice...the color is unreal - if I hadn't seen the seeds with my own eyes, I would swear up and down that they didn't come from a living plant.

As a parent who's 6 year old brought back these deadly seeds from a neighbors front yard, I would insist that anyone thinking of planting...Read More this would think of the harm it could do. My daughter placed one of these bright and colorful seeds in her mouth. If she would have chewed it , she would be dead now. How can anyone consider planting them? Thank God she is okay, but we had a sleepless night worrying.

My biology professor said that it is THE MOST poisonous seed in the plant kingdom, #2 is Ricinus communis. I have to admit that there ex...Read Moreists a morbid novelty in growing these things ornamentally.

This is a very common and dangerous trash weed in Florida. IT SHOULD BE DISCOURAGED every way possible. I have found it growing on scho...Read Moreol grounds and near public buildings if there is a nearby field.
MN4

Rosary Pea or Crab's Eye is extremely invasive in Florida in the U.S. from zone 8b in the central part of the state southward! It can cli...Read Moremb as a vine over shrubs, smothering them and preventing germination and smothering young native plants such as tree seedlings and shrubs! Also, the bright-red berries are extremely poisonous to people and can result in death if eaten - if not, cause serious sickness! This noxious invasive vine is also found in Hawaii where it is also a serious pest! It is now on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council's Pest Plant List Category One and is regarded as a noxious, very invasive and poisonous/harmful weed in Hawaii!

MORE FACTS - Very invasive in natural habitats in Florida, such as pine flatwoods, fields as well as disturbed areas such as along fences and human habitation. Very fast-growing. Has bright-red, small berries that are dangerous and VERY POISONOUS if ingested.

Invasive, unattractive, thorny, and poisonous.

It is difficult to remove this plant. Seeds fall all over the ground and s...Read Moreprout easily. Seeds end up in nearby areas due to rain and wind.

Someone sent me seeds of this plant, and I did some research before preparing to plant them. I decided not to sow these seeds after read...Read Moreing how poisonous the seeds are and how hazardous the plant is to animals and to people. Just one swallowed seed can be deadly. This is not a desirable plant for this reason.

This is an invasive weed of natural areas in central Florida, as well as a weed in my garden. It will climb to to the treetops in a sing...Read Morele year (note, height can be over 40 feet), and it is perfectly hardy in zone 9. I find seedlings in my garden beds, and pull them out, as well as cutting or pulling all the more mature plants I find. And, I don't find it particularly attractive.

Post-hurricane update (Dec. 2005) - After hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 brought down mature trees, opening up the ground to more light, this weed has become even more common. The seedlings send down deep taproots very quickly, and I have been pulling hundreds of them from my small native sandhill woodland area before they get a chance to climb the trees again.

This is a beautiful plant but it is very invasive and almost impossible to get rid of once established. The roots spread under ground and...Read More come up everywhere and for long distances. It also has sharp stickers all up and down the stems. It grows wild in Homer, Louisiana.

Rosary peas are so poisonous that the sharpened seeds are used as murder weapons in India.

Has narrow, oblong feather looking leaves.With pinkish -purple flowers. The seeds are round, and shiny red with a black eye. Seeds chewed...Read More or when cracked are extremely poisonous.The seeds are used for beads, sometimes made into necklaces and rosaries.The seeds need to be nicked and soaked in HOT water to get to germinate.