The leaves *are* poisonous, being a part of the deadly Nightshade family (as are eggplants and tomatillos). When first discovered it was widely believed that the fruit was also poisonous, and being round and red so the label "apple" due to resemblance was an obvious choice.
amethystdragonfaerie
2006-01-11 13:22:05 UTC
When america was first discovered, europeans thought that they were poisonous, but one man ate a whole bushel full, and ended up fine. That is the poison part. The apple is because, it looks like an apple growing from a vine.
ilikegrapes
2006-01-17 18:58:25 UTC
lp spinner is absolutely correct, though i might add that the potato is also a member of the nightshade family
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