The poison’s most obvious source is its green fruit, which looks deceptively like a crabapple but can be fatal if ingested by humans. People who have come across manchineel fruit on the beach and taken a bite describe a swelling, burning sensation in the mouth, throat, and chest, making it difficult to breathe — and sometimes leading to internal bleeding. These ill effects got the tree its nickname: manzanilla de la muerte, or the “little apple of death,”
