Alicia Silverstone sparked concern amongst her fans when she shared a video online of her eating a “very” poisonous berry.
The actress - who is best-known for her starring role in the 90s rom-com Clueless - took to social media to ask her followers for help in identifying an orange-coloured berry which she revealed she had picked from a random garden in London.
“'I've discovered something and I can't figure out what it is and I need your help,” she told her 4.3m followers.
“I just bit into it because I was on the street and we were discussing whether this was a tomato or not. It's definitely not a tomato because of its leaves. So what the heck is this?” she continued to muse.
After holding it up to the camera so people could get a better look, she admitted that she was not entirely sure if it was edible.
“I don't think you are supposed to eat this. But it is almost like a pepper,” she continued.
“Does anyone know what this is, I need someone to tell me, I'm in England.”
It didn’t take long for armchair horticulturists to respond and it wasn’t good news.
“OMG NO!!” panicked one person. Concerningly adding: “Jerusalem Cherry very poisonous in the Nightshade family. Hope you are ok.!
Another warned: “Girl! berries are either great or freaking poisonous! Don't eat rando bush-things.”
While another couldn’t resist cheekily adding: “She’s clearly clueless…”
Other clued-up followers advised that the berries can cause itching and are definitely not safe to eat.
According to the Queensland Poisonous Information Centre, “all parts of the plant are poisonous, especially the unripe fruits. If plant or fruit is eaten, early symptoms can include fever, sweating, vomiting, stomach pain, headache and increased heart rate.
“Symptoms are delayed for several hours and can persist for days. Death has been reported. Allergic skin reactions may occur in sensitive individuals.”
