Tuesday, December 2, 2008

The nectar of Yellow Jessamine


The nectar of Yellow Jessamine causes brood death when gathered by honeybees?All parts of this plant contain the toxic strychnine-related alkaloids gelsemine and gelseminine and should not be consumed. The sap may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals. Children, mistaking this flower for honeysuckle, have been poisoned by sucking the nectar from the flower. The nectar is also toxic to honeybees, and causes brood death when gathered by the bees.Despite the hazards, this is a popular garden plant in warmer areas, frequently being trained to grow over arbors or to cover walls.Yellow Jessamine is the state flower of South Carolina.Its flowers are strongly scented and produce nectar that attracts a range of pollinators.

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