My Memories With Lantana Camara

[Himani]

Many years from now, as a child, I have always inquisitive about nature and its offerings to mankind. A very interesting fact which unfolded after acquiring knowledge about plants through my education I have come across this wonderful memory of eating the ripe berries of Lantana camara. Ask anyone who has heard of the Lantana camara and they will tell you it is poisonous.
As a young child of around 11-12 years of age, I have enjoyed these fruits as sweet delicacies while playing with my friends. I still remember how many times I have escaped out of my mother’s reach to join my friends to pluck bor (Ziziphus mauritiana) and on the way there were lots of bushes of lantana. After these many years while I learned that these plants/fruits are poisonous I feel victorious that I have made it to stand to poison. Jokes apart, out of my curiosity I have read about them a lot and found that many scientists suggest that the rotten fruits do not carry any poisonous or harmful effect, and I believe that this is the reason that I have survived these fruits. Also, as per references eating a higher quantity may always be risky to life. I am happy to share this beautiful portion of my childhood memory which definitely is super sweet and took me into nostalgia for a while.

[Purnendu Kavoori]

Lovely story Himani,
Not exactly relevant, but My own childhood memory of a ‘forbidden’ plant was Dhatura of which the seeds were said to be poisonous. These would be found growing on the roadsides of the cart tracks and footpaths around the village. We were strictly forbidden to eat it, but it was a very attractive seed, red in colour with a black eye. It would grow in bunches and we would collect it and carry a fistful in the pockets of our half pants. I remember being told that goldsmiths used it to weigh gold!.

[Himani]

so nice sir. The seeds you are describing, I think of Abrus precatorius (commonly called ratti), formerly goldsmith use those seeds to weigh gold using a measure called a Ratti, as seeds of Abrus precatorius are very consistent in weight.

They look very good. I still remember that I used to collect those seeds to decorate my flower pots when I was in 7th classes. Even When I was doing my masters from Forest Research Institute Dehradun,I used to collect these seeds as well as Cone of the pine trees (as they are abundant in FRI) to decorate my study table. I love to recall all those old memories.

Thank you very much for providing a very good platform for sharing knowledge.

Please see the image of the seeds to the below-mentioned link.
https://www.google.com/search?q=abrus+precatorius&source=lmns&bih=654&biw=1366&client=firefox-b-d&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi35-Hgj_DqAhXKUn0KHWVSA9sQ_AUoAHoECAEQAA

[Purnendu Kavoori]

Yes, these are the ones. Only 109 rupees for a fistful!

[Author]

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