Tokyo Food Safety Information Center » Good things to know » Poisonous plants easily mistaken for harmless ones » Vernicia cordata (Euphorbiaceae)

Vernicia cordata (Euphorbiaceae)

Vernicia cordata is a deciduous high tree, which is being cultivated, but also grows wild in the mountainous regions. Blooms in early summer and from September to October matures a spheroid 3 cm capsule with a large seed inside. Seed contains poisonous fatty oil. Vernicia fordii likewise contains poisonous fatty oil in the seed.

Characteristics

Habitat	Grows in the mountains, but is also cultivated in all regions.
Parts of the plant that may be ingested accidentally.	Seeds
Symptoms	Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc.
Venomous constituents	Fatty oil contained in the seed. Its main ingredient is undersaturated fatty acid eleostearic acid.

Vernicia fordii

Vernicia fordii fruit and seeds