Rosary pea

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All plant moms should stay clear.

Abrus precatorius L. ~ Rosary Pea. This plant may sound pious, but it's actually deadly. Rosary peas got their name from their traditional use as ornamental beads for rosaries. They are used in jewelry around the world. Many jewelry makers have died after pricking a finger while handling a rosary pea. The poison contained within the seed is abrin — a close relative of ricin and one of the most fatal toxins on Earth.

This Encyclopedia Britannica science list features 7 poisonous plant species.

Most plants contain some level of toxins (like alkaloids) for defense. After all, they’re plants. They can’t go anywhere. Through millennia of trial and error, both animals and human beings have figured out which plants are safe, which are lethal, and which are somewhere in between. For example, did you know that many grain-bearing plants contain a toxin known as lectins? And that the African staple, cassava, must be thoroughly boiled and soaked to separate it from its poisonous compound…

View photographs and a description of the plant Abrus precatorius, commonly known as Rosary Pea, Rosarypea, Precatory Bean, Jequirity Pea, Bead Vine,...

ASBA on Instagram: “Susan Benjamin's colored pencil "Rosary Pea Seed Pod" #botanical #botanicalart #botanicaldrawing #asba #coloredpencil #coloredpencildrawing…”

Abrus Precatorius (known commonly as Jequirity, Crab's Eye, Rosary Pea, 'John Crow' Bead, Precatory Bean, Indian Licorice, Akar Saga, Giddee Giddee, Jumbie Bead, Ruti, and Weather Plant).