Scientific Name
Chenopodium ambrosioides
Common Name
Mexican tea, wormseed

HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN!

Characteristics

Family
Chenopodiaceae
Plant Description
Erect annual or perennial; leaves alternate, simple, irregularly toothed; flowers small, greenish, in an elongated, dense, terminal cluster, petals none; fruits small, greenish, with black seeds.
Origin
Tropical America.
Distribution
Throughout.
Where Found
Weedy in disturbed areas of cultivated fields, and waste places.
Mode
Ingestion.
Poisonous Part
Oil from seeds.
Symptoms
Nausea, headache, hallucinations, vomiting, convulsions, and coma.
Toxic Principle
Terpene peroxide ascaridole and others.
Severity
HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN!

"Poisonous Plants of North Carolina," Dr. Alice B. Russell, Department of Horticultural Science; Dr. James W. Hardin, Botany; Dr. Larry Grand, Plant Pathology; and Dr. Angela Fraser, Family and Consumer Sciences; North Carolina State University. All Pictures Copyright @1997Alice B. Russell, James W. Hardin, Larry Grand. Computer programming, Miguel A. Buendia; graphics, Brad Capel.

Disclaimer: The list of poisonous plants on this web site does not necessarily include every poisonous plant that is known, or that might be found in an urban landscape or home. North Carolina State University does not advise eating any of the plants included in this web site. The information concerning edibility is taken from the literature, and the degree of reliability is unknown. We discourage the use of any of these plants for self medication. In cases of accidental exposure or ingestion, contact the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222.

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