When wild garlic is pulled out in clumps, it can be contaminated with autumn crocus leaves. The leaves of the poisonous autumn crocus(Colchicum autumnale L.) can be distinguished from those of wild garlic by the following characteristics:

• The leaves are narrow, oblong-lanceolate and sit without a petiole on the stem, which remains in the ground
• They sprout from the ground in clusters, with the younger ones being embraced by the older ones
• The leaves of the autumn crocus are flexible, almost "rubbery" and do not bend when fresh like the leaves of wild garlic
• The leaves do not have clear ribs on the back like those of wild garlic
• They are difficult or impossible to rub together
• The leaves of the autumn crocus are odourless.

Eating three to four autumn crocus leaves can be enough to cause death. The cytotoxin (colchicine) they contain only takes effect after a few hours. The first symptoms of poisoning take the form of nausea and vomiting, followed by diarrhoea. Intestinal, blood and bone marrow cells are destroyed, which can lead to death after about two days.

Confusion with the lily of the valley(Convallaria majalis L.) can lead to considerable health problems. However, life-threatening poisoning is rare.

Lily of the valley tends to grow in dry locations and grows somewhat later than the first wild garlic leaves:

• They usually have two or three basal leaves that form a leaf sheath
• The apparent stem is green above and reddish below, the leaf blades of the lily of the valley are shiny light green on the underside
• The leaves are rather flexible, almost "rubbery"
• As with the autumn crocus, lily of the valley leaves do not smell of garlic

The lily of the valley contains cardiac glycosides (especially convallatoxin), which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and increased palpitations (racing heartbeat).

The spotted arum(Arum maculatum L.) is highly poisonous in all parts of the plant (flower, leaves, underground organs). A characteristic feature to distinguish it from wild garlic is the leaf veining:

• In contrast to the parallel leaf veins of wild garlic, the leaves of spotted arum have a reticulate leaf veining. This lattice structure is particularly well visible on the underside of the leaves
• Older plants have clearly arrow-shaped leaves, in younger plants this feature is not yet so pronounced

Arum tastes very pungent and can cause severe skin and mucous membrane irritation. The skin irritations are caused by pungents and calcium oxalate crystals. This skin-irritating effect of the arum stick is noticed immediately when consumed. Burns of the oral mucosa may occur. In addition to the pungents and calcium oxalate crystals, other toxic substances such as cyanogenic glycosides and saponins are present. Even though symptoms of poisoning in humans are rather rare, special care should be taken with children due to the high toxicity (e.g. by eating the red berries). Serious and fatal effects have been observed especially in grazing cattle.

The genus Polygonatum (Polygonatum sp. Mill.) consists of numerous species, including native species. All parts of the plant (especially the berries) are poisonous and contain toxic saponins and other toxins. Polygonatum multiflorum (L.) All., also known as many-flowered Solomon's seal, grows at similar times and in similar places to wild garlic, which means that this plant can be confused due to some visual similarities:

• The individual leaves have a similar shape to those of wild garlic. The decisive distinguishing feature from wild garlic is that the leaves sit alternately on the upright stem
• The white flowers are located on the underside of the plant and hang down in a bell shape

The leaves of the poisonous tulip (Tulipa sp. L. and its hybrids) can also be mistaken for those of wild garlic, and hybrids can run wild and occur in the same locations as wild garlic.

If they do not flower, tulips only produce a single leaf that is similar to that of wild garlic. Anyone cultivating wild garlic in the garden should therefore take care not to inadvertently harvest tulip leaves:

• Like the wild garlic leaf, the tulip leaf is divided into a lanceolate leaf blade and a thin leaf stalk
• However, the leaves are usually blue-green, thick and fleshy with a waxy coating

Salivation, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea can occur just 15 minutes after consumption.

Further information on the collection of wild plants can be found in the recommendation of the Austrian list of edible wild plants and flowers.

In future, AGES will also analyse toxic substances (e.g. convallatoxin, cholcicin) in foods containing wild garlic.