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Is the red spider lily poisonous? A comprehensive analysis of the red spider lily's toxicity

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At the mention of this plant, many people think of it as gaudy, alluring and highly toxic. While the first two are not wrong, the third is not quite accurate, because it is not all that toxic; it merely has mild toxicity. As long as we do not eat it, we will not be poisoned. So we can keep it as a potted plant in our homes.

1. Whether it is poisonous

Some people believe that this plant is highly toxic. Moreover, the whole plant is toxic, including the flowers, leaves, fruit, seeds and so on. As a result, some people think that not only will eating it cause poisoning, but even touching it once is toxic. However, this is not very scientific. The characteristic of this plant is merely that it is "mildly toxic."

As early as in the "Compendium of Materia Medica," its toxicity was already recorded. However, its toxicity is not as great as we originally thought. If it is simply grown and not eaten, it will not cause poisoning. This is also the reason it is used as a potted plant in parks and even in homes. However, we must likewise be careful. If it is eaten by mistake, it will produce some symptoms of poisoning. For example, dry mouth, hoarseness, convulsions, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat and so on. Some people will have more severe reactions, such as coma, respiratory arrest and so on.

2. Medicinal value

Although it is toxic, it can be used as a medicinal material. In many ancient texts, there are records of its effects. For example, decocted in wine and taken, it can help treat diseases such as throat wind and phlegm nodes. In addition, it also has the effects of inducing vomiting and promoting urination, and is mainly used for food poisoning, difficult urination and so on. In addition, its effects of clearing heat and detoxifying are also very obvious, and it can help treat diseases such as dysentery.

However, because it is itself toxic. Therefore, 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 in place, changing them once every four to twelve hours.

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