The manchineel (Hippomane mancinella) grows in northern South America up to the Florida Everglades and throughout the Caribbean.
In some parts of its range it’s painted with a cautionary red cross.
The milky sap produced by this tree contains the powerful irritant phorbol. Just brushing past it can leave you with horribly scalded skin. Sheltering beneath it in a tropical shower can be disastrous too because even the diluted sap can cause an extreme rash.
Read Earth's most poisonous plants, Guardian.
Image: Stefano Paterna
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