Is the trade route toxic?

1. Is it poisonous?

It is generally distributed in the hilly areas in the south, mainly in the Yangtze River basin. It is less common in the north. It blooms in May and June and bears fruit in June to October. It is poisonous, and the toxicity is quite high. Its stems come in two colors: green and red, with the red one being more toxic. Its stems, fruits, and leaves are all poisonous, especially the fruits and the stems underneath, which are the most toxic. So be sure to be careful in the wild and avoid accidental ingestion. If consumed accidentally, the symptoms may be mild, such as movement disorders, or severe cases, such as direct death.

2. Morphological characteristics

It has certain similarities with ginseng, so you need to distinguish it carefully and see its morphological characteristics clearly. Its stem height is generally about 1.5 meters. Small white flowers will bloom in early April, followed by green fruits. After about a month, that is, after the beginning of autumn, the fruits will turn from green to purple-red, with a diameter of about 7 mm, like bunches of purple grapes. The seeds are kidney-shaped, black in color, and about 3 mm long.