TIL that consumption of the Australian aquatic fern called Nardoo can cause you to starve if improperly prepared. The plant contains vast quantities of an enzyme that obliterates thiamine (vitamin B1), making your body unable to unlock energy from fo

The recent floods in Queensland have triggered the germination of the aquatic fern Nardoo, a plant with significant historical and ecological importance in Australia. Nardoo was a vital food source for Indigenous Australians but contained thiaminase, an enzyme that depletes vitamin B1, which led to the weakening and death of explorers Burke and Wills due to improper preparation. The plant's life cycle involves sporocarps that can remain dormant for decades and only germinate after flooding, making it a remarkable species adapted to the harsh outback environment. Today, Nardoo is also appreciated as an ornamental plant in aquatic gardens.