WEBVTT - What Is the World's Most Dangerous Tree?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeart Radio, Hey

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<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff, Lauren Vogel bomb here. Whether you climb them,

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<v Speaker 1>hug them, or merely admire them, trees are one part

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<v Speaker 1>of nature that are so easy to love, helping produce

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<v Speaker 1>the air we breathe, offering shade from the sun and

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<v Speaker 1>providing sweet, nutritious fruit and nuts. But love isn't exactly

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<v Speaker 1>what you'll feel if you get too close to the

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<v Speaker 1>mans neel tree. Known as the most dangerous tree in

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<v Speaker 1>the world. It's found along sandy beaches and mangroves and

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<v Speaker 1>tropical climate stretching from Florida to the Caribbean and down

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<v Speaker 1>into parts of Central and South America, and this tree

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<v Speaker 1>can cause a world of hurt. The mansion eels small

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<v Speaker 1>apple like fruit definitely won't keep the doctor away. It

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<v Speaker 1>packs such a poisonous punch that the Spanish conquistadors called

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<v Speaker 1>it LeMond Andia de la morte, or little apple of Death.

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<v Speaker 1>The ominous name may sound extreme, but history shows that

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<v Speaker 1>indigenous people's used the sap to poison their arrows and

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<v Speaker 1>can staminate the water supply of the invading Spaniards. While

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<v Speaker 1>there are no reported instances in modern botanical literature of

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<v Speaker 1>anyone dying from ingesting the innocent looking fruit. If you

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<v Speaker 1>were to bite into it, the sweet taste would quickly

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<v Speaker 1>turn quite painful. Mansioneel fruit cause intense burning and severe

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<v Speaker 1>swelling of the throat. The areas around the mouth may

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<v Speaker 1>get inflamed and blister, and potentially severe digestive problems can ensue. Unfortunately,

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<v Speaker 1>the danger doesn't stop there. Just touching the leaves even briefly,

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<v Speaker 1>or using the tree as an umbrella during a rainstorm

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<v Speaker 1>will cause blistering lesions on your skin, and if you

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<v Speaker 1>get any of the sap or smoke from burning the

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<v Speaker 1>wood in your eyes, you'll most likely experience temporary blindness.

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<v Speaker 1>Symptoms may last eight hours before they begin to subside.

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<v Speaker 1>But the tree isn't entirely evil. The deep growing roots

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<v Speaker 1>prevent soil erosion, and it provides a safe home and

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<v Speaker 1>full belly for at least one lucky reptile, the grobo

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<v Speaker 1>or striped iguana of Central and South America, which is

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<v Speaker 1>immune to the tree's poison. And despite the risk, removing

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<v Speaker 1>the mansion eel and even using the harvested wood is

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<v Speaker 1>possible after burning it at the base and standing far

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<v Speaker 1>far away, The fallen tree is dried in the sun

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<v Speaker 1>until it's safe to cut. The wood is then used

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<v Speaker 1>to make beautifully, unique and safe furniture. While many manchineel

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<v Speaker 1>trees are marked with a large red X or a

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<v Speaker 1>sign explaining the danger, you'll want to know what to

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<v Speaker 1>look out for should you ever happen to be traveling

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<v Speaker 1>in an area where they grow. The bark is a

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<v Speaker 1>reddish gray, and the shiny leaves can be two to

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<v Speaker 1>four inches long and one to three inches wide, laid

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<v Speaker 1>out in an alternating pattern on the stem, along with

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<v Speaker 1>spikes of small yellowish green flowers. For our metric friends,

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<v Speaker 1>those leaves are five to ten centimeters by two by

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<v Speaker 1>eight centimeters. So before you pick up what looks like

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<v Speaker 1>a free afternoon snack or lean against a random tree

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<v Speaker 1>while exploring a tropical destination, stop and make sure it's

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<v Speaker 1>not a manchineel. Sure it helps clear the air, offers shade,

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<v Speaker 1>and produces fruit, but this is one tree you'll definitely

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<v Speaker 1>want to love from afar. Today's episode was written by

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<v Speaker 1>Katie Carmen and produced by Tyler Clang. For more in

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<v Speaker 1>this and lots of other topics, visit how stuffworks dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>Brain Stuff is production of I Heart Radio. For more

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