Tag: Jimsonweed

Over 2,500 species belong to the nightshade family (Solanaceae), and while many are nutritious staples, some are highly poisonous nightshades. This dual nature can be confusing and poses a risk to anyone foraging, gardening, or simply encountering wild plants.

Atropine is a potent tropane alkaloid, not a food component, with lethal quantities found in small amounts of certain poisonous plants like deadly nightshade. Its presence in food is exclusively due to accidental contamination from toxic weeds harvested alongside crops.

In 1676, British soldiers in colonial Virginia were poisoned after eating a native plant, an event that gave rise to one of its most famous common names. Beyond its botanical classification, what is another name for thorn apples, and what folklore surrounds this intriguing, albeit dangerous, species?

While atropine is a potent, naturally-occurring alkaloid found in poisonous plants like deadly nightshade, documented cases show it can enter the food supply as a contaminant. Understanding which food contains atropine due to this type of accidental contamination is crucial for public health and safety, rather than through intentional consumption.