Is the Dew Dangerous

[Hikenyura]

Is the Dew Dangerous on the sundew? Does it poison pets or any health threats to humans at all? I recently got a filliformis (which came with live sphagnum moss and a judith hindle seedling free of charge!!)

[turkeypig]

Certainly not. In fact, the dew of drosera or pinguicula is sometimes helpful. I have experimented with some of the benefits, and the dew of a Mexican ping seals minor cuts! Drosera dew is not harmful, in any way that I know of. Something I have never heard of are allergic reactions to sundews. Is it possible? Probably. (I have heard of d. rotundifolia curing toothache. D. intermedia is used as a healing herb. For what, i have no idea.)

[ICPS-bob]

A little self-education is in order.
Google: drosera herbal

You will even learn Drosera is used in a patented deodorant!
www.freepatentsonline.com/20010006626.html

[turkeypig]

I never would have guessed! A deoderant! And D. rotundifolia as a cough medicine and as an anti-spasmodic? I always heard of it as a toothache cure. Guess my friend should do a little more research...

[glider14]

i always thought the dew was nectar....so i got the urge and i licked the dew off a CLEAN D. capensis leaf....it didnt taste like anything(to my disappointment...) and caused nothing bad to happen to me...yet
Alex

[wadave]

Except for that sixth finger growing behind your knee!!!

Dave.

[pinglover]

Spilanthes oleracea (Eyeball Plant) is supposedly the plant used to cure a toothache but I'm sure there are others out there.

Tsk tsk wadave ;) Drosera isn't poisonous at all to the best of my knowledge. My cats use them as dietary supplements any time they can get their teeth on them and barf them up all over the house and they haven't grown an extra leg or tail yet! Don't be scaring him now ya hear. Somebody has a recipe out there for Pinguicula butter and I saw a stuffed Nepenthes recipe floating around somewhere. Don't think I've seen a Drosera recipe out there anywhere but I bet it's there if one looks hard enough. Now about that 6th finger... tee he.

[locko]

The nectar on the lips of Sarracenia and Nepenthes tastes great like honey but better.

[zpyder]

I remember reading somewhere that the nectar on some saracenia contains a chemical which is a powerful drug/pesticide...to ants.

I'm afraid I really can't be much more specific. It detailed that the research had found small quantities of this chemical, which might explain the apparently "drugged" state occasionally witnessed in some prey when feeding on a pitchers lip. I can try to find out more details on the article if required.

[Clint]

Coniine in S. flava.

[Hikenyura]

Funny thing is I licked the dew out of curoisity. Tasted like nothing. Nice little self expiriment

[pinglover]

Ouch, that's a neurotoxin. Thanks for pointing that out JLAP.

I must admit to having sampled flava before and I'm still standing and not twitching or anything so perhaps the concentrations weren't high enough?

[Clint]

You'd need a lot of nectar since you weight more than a fly lol. Coniine is also in poisonous hemlock which is what Socrates was forced to consume to kill himself. Nasty stuff.

[zpyder]

justlikeapill said:

Coniine is also in poisonous hemlock which is what Socrates was forced to consume to kill himself. Nasty stuff.

You learn something new every day. I didn't know anything about Socretes demise, but this intrigued me enough to look it up. Very interesting stuff.

If only coniine was in the sap of all sarracenia, aphids would no longer be a problem!

[glider14]

wadave said:

Except for that sixth finger growing behind your knee!!!

Dave.

so thats what that is!!!