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Jun 11, 2016 7:33 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Ad Ad
California (Zone 10a)
What is this plant called? My neighbor says it's berries are poisonous. So just want to know what is in my backyard.
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Jun 11, 2016 10:11 PM CST
Name: Elaine
Sarasota, Fl
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A picture of the whole plant would be helpful. Are there any flowers on it, or berries at the moment? edited to add - Wait, I see the berries now.

By the leaves alone I would have guessed a citrus of some sort, but not with those berries. Is it a shrub, tree or low plant? Do you remember what the flowers looked like?

What part of California are you in? Desert or seashore makes a big difference towards guessing what your plant might be.
Elaine

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
Last edited by dyzzypyxxy Jun 11, 2016 10:14 PM Icon for preview
Avatar for akumarer
Jun 11, 2016 10:24 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Ad Ad
California (Zone 10a)
Thanks for reply.

It look like a big shrub or may be qualify as a tree as well. I did not see flower in it, I just got house few days back so may be there were flowers before i moved in. I am in east bay in bay area.
-AsD


Last edited by akumarer Jun 11, 2016 10:27 PM Icon for preview
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Jun 11, 2016 11:06 PM CST
Name: Leslieray Hurlburt
Sacramento California (Zone 9b)
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Welcome AD AD. Pick a large "berry" and cut it in half for a photo for us. That may help. If your neighbors know it's poisonous they must know what it is? Just a thought. I tip my hat to you.
Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento California.
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Jun 12, 2016 12:14 AM CST
Moderator
Name: Zuzu
Northern California (Zone 9a)
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It could be Strychnos nux-vomica, the Strychnine Tree.

http://fall11ethnobotany.provi...
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Jun 12, 2016 10:20 AM CST
Name: Leslieray Hurlburt
Sacramento California (Zone 9b)
The WITWIT Badge Region: California Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Xeriscape Native Plants and Wildflowers Salvias
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Incredible. So was the previous owner a sports cheat, constipated, or a serial killer? Very interesting article Zuzu. Thumbs up
Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento California.
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Jun 12, 2016 12:30 PM CST
Name: Carol
Santa Ana, ca
Sunset zone 22, USDA zone 10 A.
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That is an interesting article. I googled Strychnos nux-vomita and the venation in the leaves doesn't match this tree at all to my eyes.
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Jun 12, 2016 1:01 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Zuzu
Northern California (Zone 9a)
Region: Ukraine Charter ATP Member Region: California Cat Lover Roses Clematis
Irises Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Garden Sages Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Master Level
Leslie, so funny. Rolling on the floor laughing

I noticed the unique venation pattern in all of the botanical drawings of this plant in Google images, but it isn't as apparent in the photos, and some of the photos look very much like akumarer's photos.
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Jun 12, 2016 1:19 PM CST
Name: Carol
Santa Ana, ca
Sunset zone 22, USDA zone 10 A.
Bookworm Charter ATP Member Region: California Hummingbirder Orchids Plant Identifier
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According to the Wiki article, the leaves are opposite on Strychnos nux-vomita.
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Jun 12, 2016 2:02 PM CST
Name: Janet Super Sleuth
Near Lincoln UK
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The leaves are quite different ..

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Interestingly, there is someone posting a plant with similar fruits but which has leaf venation similar to the ID plant.

https://www.google.co.uk/searc...

https://www.google.co.uk/searc...
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Jun 12, 2016 2:05 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Zuzu
Northern California (Zone 9a)
Region: Ukraine Charter ATP Member Region: California Cat Lover Roses Clematis
Irises Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Garden Sages Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Master Level
That's what I noticed, Janet, so the plant is either highly variable or easily misidentified.
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Jun 12, 2016 2:24 PM CST
Name: Janet Super Sleuth
Near Lincoln UK
Bee Lover Plant Identifier Organic Gardener Dragonflies I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member
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I think easily misidentified zuzu.

Look at the leaves on this Lemon tree ..

http://www.moonvalleynurseries...

I think this is a type of citrus. The fruit shape is similar to Tangelo, a cross between grapefruit and tangerine.

http://www.moonvalleynurseries...

I can't find a decent shot of the leaves.

https://www.google.co.uk/searc...
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Jun 12, 2016 2:29 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Zuzu
Northern California (Zone 9a)
Region: Ukraine Charter ATP Member Region: California Cat Lover Roses Clematis
Irises Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Garden Sages Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Master Level
Very convincing, but what about those "poisonous berries"? The neighbor could be mistaken, I suppose.
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Jun 12, 2016 2:45 PM CST
Name: Janet Super Sleuth
Near Lincoln UK
Bee Lover Plant Identifier Organic Gardener Dragonflies I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member
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Neighbours are often wrong! A bitter fruit could be seen as 'poisonous'.

Look at Citrus aurantium leaves (not the same leaf as it has 'wings' on the petiole) .. on the site is also Citrus maxima, both bitter. I can't get the same link so you have to go from google. The venation is similar.

https://www.google.co.uk/searc...
Last edited by JRsbugs Jun 12, 2016 2:51 PM Icon for preview
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Jun 12, 2016 4:17 PM CST
Name: Carol
Santa Ana, ca
Sunset zone 22, USDA zone 10 A.
Bookworm Charter ATP Member Region: California Hummingbirder Orchids Plant Identifier
Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
It does look a bit like a small lemon fruit, and the new twig looks right. Ad Ad didn't mention any thorns, but there are a few citrus that don't have any. After looking at the original post, the fruits appear to be on long stems. That rules out any citrus I'm familiar with. A cut fruit might give some help.
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Jun 12, 2016 4:24 PM CST
Name: Leslieray Hurlburt
Sacramento California (Zone 9b)
The WITWIT Badge Region: California Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Xeriscape Native Plants and Wildflowers Salvias
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The fruit or drupes on this are in clusters on a long inflo very un-citrus like. I've been looking and could find nothing poisonous that is similar. I did find a tree with similarities.
Edit to add and L in inflo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento California.
Last edited by HamiltonSquare Jun 12, 2016 5:34 PM Icon for preview
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Jun 12, 2016 5:10 PM CST
Name: Janet Super Sleuth
Near Lincoln UK
Bee Lover Plant Identifier Organic Gardener Dragonflies I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member
Cat Lover Garden Photography Butterflies Birds Spiders!
Lemon fruits have no shorter stems than those on the ID plant ..

https://www.google.co.uk/searc...

Leaf ..

https://www.google.co.uk/searc...
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Jun 12, 2016 5:22 PM CST
Name: Carol
Santa Ana, ca
Sunset zone 22, USDA zone 10 A.
Bookworm Charter ATP Member Region: California Hummingbirder Orchids Plant Identifier
Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
That could be a possiblity, Leslieray.
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Jun 12, 2016 5:43 PM CST
Name: Leslieray Hurlburt
Sacramento California (Zone 9b)
The WITWIT Badge Region: California Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Xeriscape Native Plants and Wildflowers Salvias
Foliage Fan Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Birds Bee Lover Hummingbirder Butterflies
The "fruit" growing in a long cluster look closer match also. Nothing poisonous mentioned so far as I could find for the genera but I can see how it could be ID'd as Strychnos too. We need a few more details for sure.
Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento California.
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Jun 12, 2016 5:48 PM CST
Name: Janet Super Sleuth
Near Lincoln UK
Bee Lover Plant Identifier Organic Gardener Dragonflies I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Charter ATP Member
Cat Lover Garden Photography Butterflies Birds Spiders!
The leaf venation isn't right for Terminalia chebula

https://www.google.co.uk/searc...

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp...

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