1.
poisonous plant; toxic weed
A plant that contains substances harmful or fatal to humans or animals if ingested or touched. Japan has several well-known poisonous plants including トリカブト (monkshood) and ドクゼリ (water hemlock).
When picking wild vegetables, you need to be careful not to confuse them with poisonous plants.
Usage
Often appears in news about accidental poisoning from misidentified wild plants, which is a recurring problem in Japan, particularly with mountain vegetables (山菜).
Common collocations
- 毒草を見分ける (to distinguish poisonous plants)
- 毒草と間違える (to mistake for a poisonous plant)
- 毒草図鑑 (poisonous plant field guide)