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Doll’s Eyes: Pic of delirium-causing plant will give you creepy vibes
“Is it looking at me? I feel like it’s looking at me,” wrote an Instagram user while reacting to a post about a plant called Doll's Eyes.
There are hundreds of strange plants that inhabit our planet, and Actaea pachypoda, also referred to as the doll’s eyes, is one of them. The US National Park Service took to Instagram to share a picture of this extremely unusual plant. They also shared a caption explaining more about the plant that is not toxic to birds but is poisonous to humans.
“My toxic trait is that I’m toxic. Is that plant looking at me? Boo! Actaea pachypoda, the white baneberry or doll’s-eyes, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Actaea, of the family Ranunculaceae. The plant’s most striking feature is its fruit, a 1 cm diameter white berry, whose size, shape, and black stigma scar give the species the name, 'doll’s eyes'. Did it just blink? No. You did,” the park wittily wrote while introducing the plant.
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“A variety of birds, which are not affected by the toxins, or the creepy eyeball aesthetic, eat the berries and help disperse the seeds. However, the berries and the entire plant are considered poisonous to humans and can lead to vomiting, delirium, and stomach cramps. On that note, don’t eat it and have a good one,” they added.
The park wrapped up the post with a description of the image they shared. “Eye am what eye am. A flowering white baneberry with a pinkish-red stalk and white berries with black dots and fall foliage at Shenandoah National Park,” they shared.
Take a look at the picture of the doll’s eyes plant:
The post was shared six hours ago. Since then, it has collected close to 47,000 likes. Additionally, the share has also prompted people to post varied comments. While some were intrigued after seeing the plant, others couldn’t help but point out that it looked creepy.
What did Instagram users say about this unusual plant?
“I saw this last month on a hike. Had a feeling it was poisonous. I mean look at it. Screams ‘I will make you sick’,” posted an Instagram user. “Eye did not see that coming,” joked another. “Don’t touch the eyeball tree seems like sound advice,” shared a third.
“Real life is stranger than fiction,” expressed a fourth. “That’s terrifying,” commented a fifth. “Is it looking at me? I feel like it’s looking at me,” wrote a sixth.
