May lily |
Harilik leseleht
|
Maianthemum bifolium |
The berries of this relative of the lily of the valley are poisonous to humans. The berry contains one seed, and birds spread it, with a suitable dose of fertilizer, which is one of the plant’s propagation modes. An Estonian folk name is “metsviinamari”, forest grape, and the berries actually have a sweet taste. Eating 3-4 grams may be dangerous for children. But let’s do a calculation: one berry weighs something like 0.06 gram, and there isn’t a lot of them where the May lily grows, so poisoning cases from it aren’t common; it is more of an autumn delight for the eyes
.