Deadly Plants

The book DEADLY PLANTS is not just a stark guide to the subject or a manual for clinical practice, nor is it a pharmacological handbook. It is a beautifully crafted and fascinatingly presented natural history of the world's most poisonous plants, drawing the reader into the secrets of extraordinarily sophisticated survival strategies and compellingly illuminating the effect these plants have on humans, animals, and other plants. Some of these dangerous and potentially lethal plants act immediately upon ingestion, while others are harmful only with long-term use. Others still take effect upon contact with the skin or eyes, or when inhaled. These exceptional plant species from diverse families can be found on every continent. The substances they produce are part of their survival strategy. Their positive effects on humans and animals play a significant role in their colourful evolutionary story. You will be introduced to the extraordinary diversity of these plant species in a readable way, through fascinating examples, beautiful illustrations, and clear diagrams. For readers interested in the plant kingdom or for those drawn to ecology or pharmacology, this publication will be a charming and adventurous read.

Elizabeth Dauncey holds a degree in botany and a PhD in plant taxonomy. For most of her career, she has worked as a scientific officer and consultant in the poisons unit at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London, collaborating with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Her field also includes the development of systems for identifying poisonous plants and fungi that are suitable for treating poisoning. She is the author of Poisonous Plants: A Guide for Parents and Childcare Providers (Kew Publishing, 2010). Since 2012, she has been working for the Medicinal Plant Names Services at Kew Publishing.

Sonny Larsson is a pharmacist with a PhD in pharmacognosy. He has worked as an assistant professor of pharmacognosy at Uppsala University and Luleå University of Technology. He then took up a position as a phytochemist. He has also worked at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, studying the chemical properties of plants. Since 2013, he has been working for the Swedish Poisons Information Centre, focusing on plant poisoning. He also deals with herbal medicines as food supplements.