This trees which grows to a height of around 7 - 9 metres, is most commonly found as an ornamental species in gardens around the world. It is not a wild growing tree. The flowers, which are bright yellow, are similar to those of the pea and the seed pods are often seen hanging on the tree throughout winter. Golden chain and Golden rain are two other common names for this tree.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
This tree contains the alkaloid cysticine, which is found in all parts of the tree, particularly in the bark and the seeds. Symptoms of poisoning include abdominal pains, an elevated temperature, tremors, an unsteady gait and convulsions. There have been reports of death , mostly involving high consumptions of seeds and pods being eaten by the horses while being tied to the trees.
LARKSPUR(Consolida ajacis)
There is a considerable variation in the size and form of this plant. The elongated spur on the (usually but not always) blue flowers is a distuingishing feature. This plant is also known as delphiniun.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
All the species of Consolida are highly poisonous. The whole plant is poisonous, but the highest concerntration of the alkaloids delphinine and ajacine is in the young plants and the seeds. Symptoms of poisoning include abdominal pains, agitation, breathing difficulties, incoordination, muscular spasms and difficulty in standing. Animals are unlikely to ingest the plant unless they have access to gardens or garden rubbish containing this plant. There have been a few reported cases of poisoning.
LATANA(L. Verbenaceae)
Erect or with branches rambling,leaves ovate, hispid, commonly 4-8 cm long, 2-5.5 cm wide, on petioles 1-3 cm long, blades serrate, stiff chartaceous, spicy-pungent if rubbed; spikes headlike or corymbose; flowers crowded, youngest ones central, pale, older flowers orange, oldest ones red (or white); corolla tube pubescent internally, 10-12 mm long; limb about 8 mm across, with darker eye; drupe purple-black, 5-6 mm thick, slightly juicy, the pyrene with an air-cavity between the two cells" There are many varieties and color forms.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
The poisonous part of this plant is the green berries (immature), which contains lantodene, an atropine-like toxin. This plant affects the lungs, heart, kidneys and the nervous system. Symptoms include excitement, staggering, convulsions and coma May be fatal.
LILY OF THE VALLEY (Convallaria majalis)
This small perennial plant with its white bell-shapedflowers that appear in spring is native to Britain and is widely cultivated. This plant is used in medicine to treat conditions of the heart, particulary those involving heat muscle and heart-related fluid retention.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
There is some confusion about this plants poisonous principles. It contains gylcosides convallerin, convallomarin and convallotoxin, convallotoxin being strongly assosiated with the toxic nature of this plant. Symptoms of poisoning include gastro-intestinal disturbance, an irregular pulse, excess salivation and dilated pupils. There have been reports of fatal poisoning in horses with this plant.
LINSEED (Linum usitatissimum)
The seed of the flax plant that is cultivated for its oil and also for its fibrous stem. It contains useful protein and valuable oils and can be used as a conditioner and a mild laxative.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
Linseed contains the cyanogenic glycoside linamarin, which after its been digested it produces the poison hydrocyanic acid. This then prevents utilisation of oxygen in the body and death is caused by oxygen starvation to the brain. The toxic principle is destroyed by heat, therefore linseed must be thoroughly cooked before being given to horses. Symptoms of poisoning include salivation, staggering, dilated pupils, a rapid pulse, gasping, an inability to stand and convulsions. In some cases of poisoning death is instantaneous and no symptoms are shown.
LOCOWEED (Oxytropis sericea)
Locoweed is a native herb in western Canada. Their leaves are alternate and pinnately compound. Flowers are leguminous and the fruit is a legume pod with kidney shaped seeds. The pod is often conspicuously enlarged causing the seeds to rattle in it when ripe, hence the common names, rattlebox and rattleweed, that are often assigned to it. The keel petal of Oxytropis tends to be long and pointed whereas that of Astragalus tends to be blunter.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
The flowers, leaves, mature fruit,seeds and stems are the toxic parts of the plant containing the alkaloid Swainsonine and slaframine. The blooms and mature fruit of locoweed have higher quantities of the toxin swainsonine than do the leaves. The concentration of this toxin remains constant in leaves throughout the grazing season. Symptoms of poisoning include ARTHROGRYPOSIS: (Twisted limbs, where the elbows are often immobilized because of malpositioning of the ulna with the articular surfaces of the distal part of the humerus), rough and dry coat, depression, unsteady gait, incoordination and nervousness.
LUPIN (Lupinus spp.)
A perennial plant which reaches a height of about 1 metre. There are many varieties cultivated, the main one being L. polpphyllus.. These are mostly found in gardens, but are sometimes found wild. Although lupin is listed as a poison in some parts of the world, some varieties are grown for forage.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
The so-called 'bitter' varieties contain several toxic alkaloids. A substance called biochanin is also present in some species, which has the potential to cause reproductive disorders. Symptoms of poisoning include staggering, inability to stand and convulsions. The risk of poisoning from this plant is low at the 'bitte' varieties are probably unpalatable, and horses rarely have access to this plant.
MARIJUANA (Cannabis sativa )
This coarse, roughly hairy, herbaceous annual, at least 3 to 6 feet tall, has opposite leaves on the lower part of the plant, alternate leaves above. The leaves are made up of from 3 to 7 coarsely-saw-toothed, rough-to-the-touch, long, narrow leaflets borne in a finger-like arrangement. Male and female flowers are found on separate plants, the male flowers on branch tips and the female along the length of the branches. Hemp may be found in weedy pastures, fence rows, brushy stream banks, and illicit plantings.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
The leaves, stems, flowers and seeds contains tetrahydrocannabinol, a resin. In addition, alkaloids and glycosides are present in marijuana. Toxicity varies greatly in the plants. The top leaves and flower buds of the female plants contain the highest toxin concentration, with the rest of the plant as well as male plants being toxic to a lesser degree. Nearly all animals will voluntarily avoid marijuana. Toxic cases are usually encountered when the plant is mixed in prepared feeds or bedding materials, or if the animal is forced into consuming or inhaling smoke from the plant. Symptoms include nervousness and disorientation which can progress to depression, trembling, and sometimes diarrhea and breathing difficulties. Fatalities are rare.
MARSH MARIGOLD (Caltha palustris)
This plant as the name suggests is common in marshes and wet areas, often forming luxurious growth in shaded areas. It grows to a height of about 30 centimetres, and has a yellow flower that blossoms in early summer. This plant is not related to other marigolds which are members of the Compositae family.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
In common with other plants of the Ranunculaceae family, the marsh marigold contains a variety of toxins including notable an irritant substance called protoanemonin. The plant has an acid taste and cases of poisoning are rare, but they do occur as animals have been known to develop a taste for the plant. Symptoms of poisoning from this plant aren't well documented, but they would probably include those seen in other cases of protoanemonin poisoning, which include the following symptoms - salivation, abdominal pains and inflammation of the mouth.
MEADOW SAFFRON (Colchicum autumnale)
This hairless perennial plant grows to a height of around 25 centimetres and is found mainly in damp paddocks. It is medicinally used in homeopathic treatment of rheumatism and circulatory problems. Other common names for this plant are Autumn crocus (see Autumn Crocus on Poisons A / B)and naked ladies.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
This plant contains a number of toxic alkaloids, the most toxic being colchicine. The alkaloids are particularly concerntrated in the corn and the seed of the plant, but all parts of the plant are posionous. Symptoms of poisoning include abdominal pains, salivation, severe diarrhoea, incoordination and collapse. Death can occur by circulatory of respiratory disfunction.
MELILOT(Melilotus spp.)
Also known as sweet clover, melilot is a cultivated and naturalized plant commonly found in paddocks and waste grounds. There are the common or ribbed melilot Melilotus officinalis, the white melilot Melilotus alba and the tall melilot melilot altissimus as shown in order above in pictures. All three types are biennials and are similar in appearance. Used in herbal medicine to treat varicose veins and piles, and for nosebleeds in homeopathy.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
Melilots are safe for animals to graze, but when incorporated into hay certain constituents of the plant called coumarins can be converted into a substance that impairs blood clotting. Where a large quantity has been ingested, fatal heamorrahaging has occured in a short period of time, with subcutaneous haemmorahaging pale mucous membrane, weakness and rapid heartbeat occur just prior to death. Moldy sweet-clover is produced through insufficient drying of bales and silage. Dicoumarol production by molds is not likely to occur if animals ingest living plants. There have been no recent reports of poisoning though.
MERCURY(Mercuriallis spp.)
This plant is mainly found in forests, growing from long creeping rhizomes and it has a branched stem which is about 40 centimetres tall.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
The actual poisonous principles of this plant have not been studied in detail, but they are thought to be associated with, amongst other things, saponins and a volatile oil. Even though the plant is rare and has a horrible taste if there is no other source of feed then the animal will eat it, and they have been known to develop a taste for it aswell. Symptoms include gastrointestinal upsets, jaundice of the oral and genital mucous membrane and eyes, salivation, diarrhoea, weakness, lethargy, blood-stained urine and coma may proceed death.
MEXICAN POPPY (Argemone ochroleuca)
Before it flowers, Mexican poppy closely resembles a large thistle growing up to 1 metre high, with most plants 30 to 60 cm high. It is a robust, erect, branched, prickly, annual plant. The leaves and stems are a distinctive pale bluish-green colour and exude copious quantities of yellow sap when cut. The most obvious differences between Mexican poppy and thistles are in the flowers. The flowers of Mexican poppy are made up of 4 to 6 delicate, creamy petals and are 3 to 6 cm in diameter. They are very different to the spiny, hairy clusters of tiny flowers of typical thistles. Flowering occurs mainly in the spring and summer.
The leaves have a waxy, mottled surface with white along the veins. They are coarsely lobed, variable in shape, have toothed edges and have prickles scattered along the margins and undersurface. The lower leaves are crowded in a rosette, while higher leaves are alternate and clasped around the stem. The seed capsules are shaped like elongated footballs with longitudinal ribs, are a shiny blue-green colour and are covered with rigid spines. They are 2.5 to 5 cm long and they open at the top to reveal a single compartment holding 300 to 400 tiny seeds. The seeds are more or less globular, coloured dark brown to black, and covered with tiny pits on the surface. The seeds themselves are only about 1.5 mm in diameter. Mexican poppy is propagated only by seeds. They tend to fall very near the parent plant, sometimes leading to dense, almost pure stands. A mature plant can produce about 20,000 seeds per year. It is considered one of the world’s worst weeds. It is particularly troublesome in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia, occurring mainly on disturbed ground, and spreading along roadsides, river banks, sandy flats and the beds of intermittent streams.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
The alkaloids berberine and protopine are contained in the entire plant. In addition, the seeds contain sanquinarine and dihydrosanquinarine. I am unable to find any symptoms, but it doesn't take much to cause death in an animal.
MILKWEED (Asclepias spp)
Milkweeds, such as common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, get their name from the thick, sticky, milky sap that oozes out of cut or torn leaves, stems, and fresh pods. The usually solitary stems of milkweed grow 1 to 5 feet tall and bear opposite (sometimes whorled), sometimes fleshy leaves with entire margins. Flowers emerge in umbrella-like clusters and range in color from pink to rose-purple to orange or white. The fruit is a pod with "tufted" seeds. A dozen species of milkweeds grow in Indiana woods and swamps, but most commonly in dry soils of fields and road-sides. Dogbanes (Apocynum spp.), which are easily confused with milkweeds, are found in the same habitats and may cause similar poisoning.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
The stems, leaves and roots containing varying degrees of toxicity, with the whorled milkweeds being the most toxic. Milkweed plants are considered unpalatable and are eaten only when other forages are not available, and may also be found in hay and processed feeds. The primary toxicants are cardiac glycosides that cause gastrointestinal, cardiac and respiratory problems and can cause death if enough is consumed. Resins (especially galitoxin) in the milky sap may also contribute to the toxicity of milkweed. In ruminants, the first signs are incoordination, muscle tremors and spasms, bloat, increased heart rate, breathing problems, and occasionally death. Horses are very reluctant to eat this plant, and its toxicity is only rarely reported: colic, diarrhea, abnormal heart rate and rhythm, rarely death. In animals that are capable of vomiting (pigs, dogs, cats, humans), this is the first sign to develop and is beneficial in that further absorption of the toxin is lessened. Horses cannot vomit, and vomiting is not generally observable in ruminants (if vomiting occurs, the contents still remain in the rumen), therefore toxic signs will be worse in these species.
MONK'S HOOD (Aconitun napellus)
This perennial plant which grows to a height of about 11 centimetres is extremely rare and is mainly found in high altitude forests, famp woods and riverbanks. This is a conventional medicine as a local anesthetic and in homeopathy for the treatment of fevers and in some heart conditions. The plant is also used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of heart disease.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
It contains extremely toxic alkaloids like aconitine and other similar types. Symptoms of poisoning include at first, a stimulatory effect on the respiration and the circulation, which is then followed by depression with slow laboroud breathing and a low pulse. Large amounts will cause sudden death from asphyxia and circulatory collapse.
A short-lived perennial that grows to a height of about 0.5 to 1 metre with the lower parts becoming somewhat woody; when grown under shade, in association with tall grasses or sown early, assumes a twining habit and may attain 1.2 m. Branches terete, clothed with long deciduous reflexed hairs. Leaflets ovate or lanceolate, 3.5 to 7.5 cm long. Inflorescence, semierect racemes about 15 cm long borne on axillary peduncles up to 25 cm; pedicels short. Flowers red-purple. Pods subcylindrical, 7.5 to 10 cm long and 3 mm wide, slightly curved, approximately 20-seeded. Seeds oblong or rhomboidal, slightly compressed, about 3 mm long, mottled light and dark grey-brown (Barnard, 1967). It regenerates from seed under favourable conditions but Bryan (1968a) found that it was unreliable in this regard at Beerwah, south-east Queensland.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
Horses are able to eat the leaves and the fruiting branches, but not any other parts of the plant. It had been reported as poisonous to horses, but Paltridge (1955) found no toxicity with horses at Lawes and chaffed green material had no effect on dairy cows when fed for ten successive days. It did not produce any milk taint.
MORNING-GLORY (Ipomoca spp.)
This moderate-sized family contains twining herbs, often with milky juice; leaves: alternate, in our range simple and lobed; flowers: large, brightly colored, regular, and bisexual; calyx: 5-parted; corolla: funnelform, pleated; buds: frequently twisted; stamens: 5; ovary: superior.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
The leaves and stems are toxic containing an unknown toxin. Symptoms of poisoning include and gastrointestinal distress accompanied by explosive diarrhea, frequent urination, and depressed reflexes. Prolonged consumption results in anorexia, wasting-away, depression, dyspnea, coma, and in severe cases, death. Consumption of seeds causes nausea, psychotic reactions, and hallucination.
MUSTARDS (Brassica spp., Raphanus spp., and related genera )
The mustard family (Cruciferae) comprises a large group of herbaceous plants, most of which are annuals, winter annuals, or biennials. Flowers, with four sepals, four petals, and six stamens (two short and four long) are yellow or white, and arranged in racemes. Fruits are borne in two-chambered, flat-round, or beaked tubular capsules. Basal leaves are generally lobed or coarsely toothed. Mustards are found along roadsides, waste areas, open fields, and pastures. Seeds of many species live a long time in the soil, and seedlings reappear after many years when soil is disturbed.
Poisonous principles and symptoms
Many mustards are harmless when they areyoung and can be grazed without incident. However, seeds and vegetative parts (fresh and dry) can contain the toxic principle glucosinolate (isothiocyanate). Feeds containing grain screenings with a large number of mustard seeds can be dangerous to horses. Mustard oils, which are released by enzymes when the mustard seeds are moistened with cold water before feeding, are strong irritants. Symptoms of poisoning include acute/chronic anorexia, severe gastroenteritis, salivation, diarrhea, paralysis, photosensitization, and hemoglobinuria.
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