Information for Families - Plant Safety is a publication from the Ontario Poison Centre and Sick Kids' Hospital. A mere list of names that you may or may not recognise. All 'known to be poisonous to humans'. That's all you get. A name and an admonition. As information , it's not much. Does everybody know what Jequirity Beans are. I am a professional plantsman and I didn't know. They are the same as Rosary Pea that you will see further down in the list. Are you any the wiser ?
The beans or peas don't grow in Canada so it is not a plant that I should have been expected to know. Since they are quite pretty they often get strung on a thread or otherwise to make a necklace or as earrings. These can be purchased cheaply in the Caribbean and elsewhere. Returning vacationers who get a close inspection at the border will lose their souvenirs since they are not allowed in Canada. (If you have some other botanicals you may not be either.)
When parents have Internet access they can do their own research since the Poison Control Centre is being so parsimonious. Not everyone can easily do that. They might have given us a short description :-
Small (3 to the inch) shiny bright red beans that are jet black at one end.
When you read this and recognise them; I hope you are not saying, "Those sound like the ones on the bangle that the baby is gumming on RIGHT NOW !
A colour photo' would have been nice.
The scientific name is Abrus precatorious. Precatory refers to pius praying, don't you know? and the reference is to the practice of using the beans as a rosary, hence Rosary Pea.
You now know what they look like; so do avoid them or we will all be praying for you.
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