Is the red spider lily poisonous?

1. Is it toxic?

Some people believe that this plant is highly poisonous. Moreover, the whole plant is poisonous, including flowers, leaves, fruits, seeds, etc. Therefore, some people believe that not only will eating it be poisonous, but even touching it is poisonous. However, this is not very scientific. The only characteristic of this plant is that it is "slightly poisonous".

Its toxicity was recorded as early as in the "Compendium of Materia Medica". However, it is not as toxic as we originally thought. If you simply cultivate it and don't eat it, you won't be poisoned. This is why it is found as a potted plant in parks and even in homes. However, we must also be careful. If ingested by mistake, some symptoms of poisoning will occur. For example, dry mouth, hoarseness, convulsions, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, etc. Some people may experience more serious reactions, such as coma or respiratory arrest.

2. Medicinal value

Although it is poisonous, it can be used as a medicinal herb. There are records about its efficacy in many ancient books. For example, drinking it boiled in wine can help treat diseases such as laryngeal wind and phlegm nodules. In addition, it also has emetic and diuretic effects, and is mainly used to treat food poisoning, urinary problems, etc. In addition, its heat-clearing and detoxifying effects are also very obvious, and can help treat diseases such as dysentery.

However, it is poisonous in itself. So, we have to take its side effects into consideration. So, generally speaking, it is only used as an external medicine to treat diseases such as boils. Specifically, take one to three pieces, mash them, apply them to the skin, and fix them, changing them every four to twelve hours.