The Socotra desert rose is nicknamed the "bottle tree" because of its large, water-storing trunk. It's a famous desert plant, known for its stunning pink-and-white blooms.
Native only to Yemen's Socotra island, the plant is more than just striking to look at: Its milky sap contains toxins that can disrupt the heart.
Here's what to know
The bottle tree's built-in water supply allows it to persist through extended drought, then bloom with pink-and-white flowers from early March through late April, ScienceAlert reported.
The plant's unusual beauty hides a hazard. If it is cut or otherwise damaged, it releases a milky white latex containing cardiac glycosides, compounds that can strengthen heart contractions in very small doses but become dangerous in larger amounts. Large exposures to the latex can lead to nausea, blurred vision, and severe disturbances in heart rhythm. In serious cases, the toxins can be life-threatening.
Different forms of the plant, known under the genus name Adenium obesum, grow across parts of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, where they have long been used in medicine, hunting, and ceremonial practices.
Among the Hadza of northern Tanzania, the plant has been used on arrows for hunting animals such as buffalo, zebras, giraffes, and birds. Other groups have also used it on fish, pests, and vermin.
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A 2024 study of the plant's ethnobotanical uses reported applications for conditions including skin problems, wounds, earaches, tooth decay, lice, malaria, and parasitic infections, according to ScienceAlert. Researchers have identified that many compounds in the plant, including some linked in studies to antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, or anticancer activity, while also stressing that others are toxic.
What can be done?
A plant that looks ornamental and delicate can still be dangerous, especially if it is kept around children or pets. Plants such as Adenium obesum may contain medically useful compounds, but their chemistry is often potent enough that self-treatment or casual use can be dangerous.
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