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About Abrus precatorius (Black-eyed Susan, rosary pea)

Abrus precatorius - An ornamental, twining, woody vine which grows to a height of 10–20 ft when supported by other plants. Leaves are alternate, compound, feather-like, with small oblong leaflets while the flowers are numerous and appear in the leaf axils along the stems. The flowers are also small and occur in clusters 1–3 inches long, usually red to purple, or occasionally white. The fruit is a legume about 3 cm long containing hard ovoid seeds about 1 cm long.

Abrus precatorius (mostly the seeds) was reported as actually one of the world’s most dangerous plants, after the castor oil plant Ricinus communis and spurge laurel, Daphne laureola. The toxicity of the plant was found to be due to the presence of a lectin poison called abrin, so toxic that, if swallowed or chewed, it will result in almost immediate death. Family : Fabaceae