Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:
>
> pete wrote:
> >
> > I think that the first human to take a bite of a new herb,
> > might have employed a safety philosophy
> > which was more complicated than
> > knowing "exactly which plant is which",
> > especially if they intended to continue to be
> > the first human to take bites of new herbs.
> >
>
> Bryson touches on it in his latest book about homes,
> the unknown process
> where relatively benign plants, but useless as food crops, such as
> members of the grass family, became maize (what people in the US call
> corn) and wheat.
>
> What's not only unkown,
> but amazing is the process where poisons plants such
> as the ancestors of tomatos,
> eggplant and potatoes became not only safe
> to eat, but food crops.

Potatoes are more complicated than being simpley "safe to eat".
When the tubers either
turn green from too much exposure to light
or if the tubers are bruised or otherwise damaged,
they become poisonous.

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/about_green_potatoes/

http://www.ehow.com/info_7786126_bru...s-harmful.html


--
pete