7 Most Dangerous Plants In The World

Suicide Tree (Cerbera odollam)

As the name suggests, suicide tree has been in use to suicide and homicide. Cerbera odollam yields a highly potent poison that can easily kill humans. This highly dangerous plant species is native to India and southern Asia. They are primarily found growing in swamp and marshy areas. The suicide tree produces a toxin known as cerberin. Cerberin is a digoxin-type cardenolide and cardiac glycoside which blocks calcium ion channels in heart muscle, causing fatal heart disruption. In the Indian state of Kerala, odollam has been a common agent of suicide and homicide; nearly 500 cases of odollam poisonings were reported from 1989 to 1999. A mixture of strong spices with odollam can easily mask the presence of the toxin.