MELIANTHUS MAJOR "The Peanutbutter Bush" ©Laura Quick I've been photographing this plant since October, trying to figure out what it was. This weekend Wilbur, our docent guide and an evolutionary biologist at UCLA talked about the plant. When you crunch up or abrade the leaves, it smells like peanut butter. The chemical responsible for the scent is acetyl pyrroline, the same chemical that gives butter its tantalizing fragrance, and binterong pee the smell of fresh popcorn. The bud [pictured] can be used to create dye, the underside of the leaves creates a honey dew that can be used as a sweetener, and the roots of the plant contain cyanide and are poisonous. #melianthusmajor #peanutbutterbush #honeybush #sweetnectar #poisonroots #smellslikepeanutbutter #acetylpyrroline #©lauraquick #bud #binterongpee #smellofbutter #chemicals #cyanideintheroots #lazoo #losangelesphotographer #naturephotography #losangeleszoo #losangeleszooandbotanicalgardens #plantsofinstagram #amazingplants https://www.instagram.com/p/B9j1gtwnY9Y/?igshid=1bllr1txx0boz