The plant whose bulb contains the vomiting-causing alkaloid lycorine is the daffodil, a common name for plants in the genus Narcissus. Lycorine is found throughout Narcissus, but it is especially concentrated in the bulb.
Daffodils are spring-flowering plants in the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Their bulbs can be mistaken for onions or leeks, a mistake that has caused accidental poisonings. Eating them may lead to salivation, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; larger amounts can cause tremors, convulsions, paralysis, cardiac problems, or death.
Lycorine belongs to the distinctive group of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids. Other related compounds in Narcissus include galantamine, narciclasine, and pretazettine, so lycorine is not the plant’s only biologically active chemical. It is, however, the best-known toxic alkaloid linked with the bulb’s strong emetic effects.
A common mix-up is confusing a daffodil with a true lily. Daffodils are Narcissus species, while “lily” is often used loosely for many unrelated plants. The answer “daffodil” is the familiar horticultural name; “Narcissus” is the corresponding botanical genus.