Nandina domestica and hoverfly

Nandina domestica Thunb. Berberidaceae. Heavenly bamboo. Distribution: Contains cyanogenic glycosides which liberate hydrogen cyanide when damaged. Nothing eats it. Pharmacists have also found a chemical in the sap, called nantenine, which is a potential antidote to poisoning by ecstasy with which it shares the same molecular shape. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.