Have you ever watched a movie where one of the characters can recognize a poisonous wild plant or not? Is it true you can determine the safeness of a plant only from certain traits? If according to some botanists, this is possible, but you have to study the various plant morphology from different regions to be sure. Given that there are thousands of different kinds of plants out there, to be able to tell if wild plants are poisonous or not, it's not as easy as you watch in a movie. For people who have lived in a certain area for a long time, of course they know which plants are safe to eat, but for the layman, assisted by any guidebook, the possibilities for the wrong are quite large.
Then, if we are in a precarious condition trapped in the forest and have not eaten a few days, what is the solution? According to survival experts, there are eight common traits that show us that they should not eat:
. remove white or black sap
. nuts, seeds or tubers that are coated with petals
. has a bitter taste
. there are thorns or fine hairs on the leaves and stems of the plant
. its leaves resemble the leaves of carrot plants, yams, dill or parsley
. wooden stems produce an almond-like scent
. shoots resembling wheat but pink, purple or black
. leaf growth with a three-leaf pattern
Do not make these eight common traits a way of determining the toxicity of a wild plant, but a method of eliminating the crops in your search. There are some plants like tomatoes whose trunks are hairy but the fruit can be consumed. Papaya, mango and banana also emit white sap, but can be eaten, and there are some plants that secrete lymph nodes that are toxic.
To find out whether a plant is safe to eat or not, there is a test that we can do. Here's how to test like a wild plant to eat:
Make sure in advance the number of plants to be tested quite a lot. Do not try too little and difficult to find.
It is advisable not to eat anything 8 hours before undergoing this test.
But if you are lost in the forest, there may be no other choice. Separate the plants into individual components, for example: separate the leaves, fruit stalks, flowers and roots.Just test one component of the plant, not all at once.
Perhatikan aroma of plant components tested, whether it produces a strong or acidic smell. The smell is not always able to show whether the plant is worth eating or not, so it's best to move on to the next step.
First test the skin, by placing some of the components on the inside of the elbows or wrists. Is there no reaction after 15 minutes, can try the following stage.
