Anyone heard of this?

[apothecary]

Hey guys. Only just got the chance to post this up.

Recently talking to a hippy I know, he asked me if I knew anything about a plant that aboriginals used to throw the berries of into the fire then inhale the fumes.

He said he heard it from a mate, who is unfortunately no longer alive. The mate said it was something like Lilli Pilli but nor I nor the hippy are too keen on that concept.

Anyone heard of such a thing? Berries -> Fire -> Inhale. Must be awful potent if such a thing exists.

[Amulte]

i have heard of this and when i was up in the medowie bush (when it was bush) an indiginous dude i knew who said he lived in the bush one day took me to this sharp looking shrub.

you know the ones that used to be on burkes backyard once a year, the kids would eat the berries, get violently ill, develope a nasty rash and spend 2 days gigling about it.

well old mate pulled off these unfriendly lookin berries, lit a fire and let it burn out to red embers, then gather them with a stick into a pile at his feet, chew the berries then spat them onto the embers and put more on top of the berry spit. i watched him change colours and dibble all sorts of things about the smoke tells him things. i lent over and had a breath but within that one second my stomach suddenly decided to purge. i didnt notice any effects but that which was ended by a nice charcole snack that he wedged down my throat. he said to never do it again because, well i wont repet what he said but basically it ment that european decent has never had anything like it but the indiginous australians used it for some time so their systems can deal with it.

i have no idea what it is but i know where the plant he used is, and its still there. theres one on the side of the road and one up the back of an old mates place who still lives there. old fella is dead now i think, he was ancient when i knew him.

But i do know these berries are highly toxic. they might be the same ones you mentioned but i may be wrong.

[Amulte]

Just to help with id until i can make a trip back to where it was, it looks and sounds like this http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/weed-pu...ame=/dpi426.pdf butthis plant is not indiginous. and the one i was looked like this but with these tips on the end of the leaves.

[ 05. April 2005, 10:07: Message edited by: Amulte ]

[Amulte]

think it may be Toxicodendron succedaneum. still gonna try to get a sample

[apothecary]

You are a good boy Amulte.

If you can, please get photos!

[Amulte]

yeah im laking a digital camera so im hoping to get adequet specimens for id. in an id effort i hope to send some off too people. this shit is toxic and i wont be thinking of trying some again. nooo way!

[Amulte]

Ok i have found amble specimens locally, still unsure as to what species it is, may not be the one but strickingly similar.

Anyone who would be interested in a sample of ID ONLY. i do NOT suggest anyone try this plant as it unidentified. PM if you would like me to send you a sample. i havnt traveled to the bush yet but still intend to.

[black]

Hey guys. Only just got the chance to post this up.

Recently talking to a hippy I know, he asked me if I knew anything about a plant that aboriginals used to throw the berries of into the fire then inhale the fumes.

He said he heard it from a mate, who is unfortunately no longer alive. The mate said it was something like Lilli Pilli but nor I nor the hippy are too keen on that concept.

Anyone heard of such a thing? Berries -> Fire -> Inhale. Must be awful potent if such a thing exists.

get onto it

[botanika]

He said he heard it from a mate, who is unfortunately no longer alive. The mate said it was something like Lilli Pilli but nor I nor the hippy are too keen on that concept.

I doubt very much its at least the common lilli pillies such as Syzigium australe or Syzigium leuhmannii - they are coastal natives and used frequently in landscaping - they are really good as a screening shrub/tree between neighbours. Their berries are also used in bush food and jam so probably not very toxic. There are some rarer Syzigium tree species around I've seen before though so it may be still worth investigating that genus.

[spaced]

Just to help with id until i can make a trip back to where it was, it looks and sounds like this http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/weed-pu...ame=/dpi426.pdf butthis plant is not indiginous. and the one i was looked like this but with these tips on the end of the leaves.

<small>[ 05. April 2005, 10:07: Message edited by: Amulte ]</small>

It (Schinus terebinthifolius), looks like the same plant I've seen growing around East Perth, which I've heard can remove the paint from a car park underneath it should the berries fall onto the car.

[Rev]

the plants is unlikely to be that either

schinus are edible as a susbtitute for pepper, though allergies are not uncommon, they still sell it in boutique stores! white black and pink peppercorn mixes, the pink being schinus (either species)

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/generi...l?Schi_ter.html

[apothecary]

He said he heard it from a mate, who is unfortunately no longer alive. The mate said it was something like Lilli Pilli but nor I nor the hippy are too keen on that concept.

I doubt very much its at least the common lilli pillies such as Syzigium australe or Syzigium leuhmannii - they are coastal natives and used frequently in landscaping - they are really good as a screening shrub/tree between neighbours. Their berries are also used in bush food and jam so probably not very toxic. There are some rarer Syzigium tree species around I've seen before though so it may be still worth investigating that genus.

Yeah of course it isn't actually lilli pilli, just resembling it.

[botanika]

Yeah of course it isn't actually lilli pilli, just resembling it.

Yeah I didnt really offer any promising scientific leads there did I :$ - oh well at least some people might know what a syzgium is now

[Rev]

syzgium or syzygium?