Discovered totally by chance while cleaning up near the fig tree patch, Bryonia cretica (?) had already formed a thicket of long vines up to four meters long. I filled up a whole big leaf bag with it, tearing out whatever I could see and get to.
Bryonia looks pretty but is very toxic when ingested, especially its berries, but also every other part of it, roots, leaves, flowers, tendrils, or vines. It has one redeeming quality in being the only food plant for the strictly specialized sand bee (Andrena florea).
Special Bryonia extracts are apparently used in some medicinal products for their immunostimulating effect. But the plant is generally not used therapeutically due to its drastically toxic effects. It is used in homeopathy as Bryonia alba where it poses no danger due to its infinitesimally small dosage.
Since it grows out of deep and thick roots I will probably never be able to eliminate it totally. But in order to keep an eye on it I will make sure that the fig tree patch will be easier to access in the future.
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