Trogdor
Bluelighter
Moonflower seeds send teens to hospital
By Bianca Prieto, Rocky Mountain News
October 20, 2006
A flower that blooms only at night has landed four teens in the hospital after they intentionally ingested its hallucinogenic seeds.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office issued a warning Thursday afternoon about the potentially lethal effects of the moonflower plant, a common flower grown mostly for ornamental purposes.
Two separate incidents - one Sunday afternoon, the other Tuesday evening - do not appear to be related, said Sheriff Grayson Robinson.
In both cases, the teens were taken to the hospital for observation and later released.
Three teen boys were taken to Swedish Medical Center on Sunday afternoon after apparently eating the plant's seeds, which are called "moonpods."
Deputies were called to Centennial on a report of intoxicated teens Sunday.
When they arrived, two of the boys had trouble standing and could not speak clearly.
The teens became combative and agitated when paramedics tried to place them into the ambulance.
While at the hospital, a third teen arrived with the same symptoms.
Doctors determined they had ingested the seeds of the large, thorned, flowering plant. Later, one boy admitted to ingesting the seeds.
"People typically eat it or make tea out of the pods and experience a hallucinogenic affect," Robinson said. "Schools, parents and young people need to be aware of the toxicity of this plant."
The moonflower plant, a relative of jimson weed, is also known as devil's weed, devil's cucumber and devil's trumpet.
The second incident on Tuesday night involved a teen who also exhibited similar symptoms of confusion, combativeness and agitation, Robinson said.
"The hallucination can be so bad they have to be hospitalized, and it can last up to several days," said Dr. Alvin Bronstein, a consultant for the Rocky Mountain Poison Center.
"My advice is that people not use this or do this," he said.
The seeds can cause severe hallucination, seizures or even a coma in the extreme cases, Bronstein said.
No one in Colorado has died from eating the moonpods or similar plants, he said.
"It's not illegal to possess this plant," Robinson said, "but if it were in or around my house, it'd be in the trash can tonight."
Moonflower facts
• Common name: Moonflower
• Genus and species: Datura inoxia
• Similar plants: Jimson weed, thorn apple, prickly burr, angel's trumpet.
• Description: Domestic plant with large flowers that typically bloom at dusk. Seed pods generally contain 200 seeds.
• Effects: Causes hallucinations, hot flashes, increased heart rate, agitation, confusion. In severe cases, it can cause seizures, coma and death.
link to story
also from the previous day: link
By Bianca Prieto, Rocky Mountain News
October 20, 2006
A flower that blooms only at night has landed four teens in the hospital after they intentionally ingested its hallucinogenic seeds.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office issued a warning Thursday afternoon about the potentially lethal effects of the moonflower plant, a common flower grown mostly for ornamental purposes.
Two separate incidents - one Sunday afternoon, the other Tuesday evening - do not appear to be related, said Sheriff Grayson Robinson.
In both cases, the teens were taken to the hospital for observation and later released.
Three teen boys were taken to Swedish Medical Center on Sunday afternoon after apparently eating the plant's seeds, which are called "moonpods."
Deputies were called to Centennial on a report of intoxicated teens Sunday.
When they arrived, two of the boys had trouble standing and could not speak clearly.
The teens became combative and agitated when paramedics tried to place them into the ambulance.
While at the hospital, a third teen arrived with the same symptoms.
Doctors determined they had ingested the seeds of the large, thorned, flowering plant. Later, one boy admitted to ingesting the seeds.
"People typically eat it or make tea out of the pods and experience a hallucinogenic affect," Robinson said. "Schools, parents and young people need to be aware of the toxicity of this plant."
The moonflower plant, a relative of jimson weed, is also known as devil's weed, devil's cucumber and devil's trumpet.
The second incident on Tuesday night involved a teen who also exhibited similar symptoms of confusion, combativeness and agitation, Robinson said.
"The hallucination can be so bad they have to be hospitalized, and it can last up to several days," said Dr. Alvin Bronstein, a consultant for the Rocky Mountain Poison Center.
"My advice is that people not use this or do this," he said.
The seeds can cause severe hallucination, seizures or even a coma in the extreme cases, Bronstein said.
No one in Colorado has died from eating the moonpods or similar plants, he said.
"It's not illegal to possess this plant," Robinson said, "but if it were in or around my house, it'd be in the trash can tonight."
Moonflower facts
• Common name: Moonflower
• Genus and species: Datura inoxia
• Similar plants: Jimson weed, thorn apple, prickly burr, angel's trumpet.
• Description: Domestic plant with large flowers that typically bloom at dusk. Seed pods generally contain 200 seeds.
• Effects: Causes hallucinations, hot flashes, increased heart rate, agitation, confusion. In severe cases, it can cause seizures, coma and death.
link to story
also from the previous day: link
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