Kentucky coffeetree
General poisoning notes:
Kentucky
coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus) is a tree that is occasionally planted
as an ornamental in the warmer parts of Canada. The seeds and fruit pulp of
this tree have poisoned humans and cattle. The foliage has caused the death of
sheep in Maryland (Reynard and Norton 1942, Lampe and McCann 1985).
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Gymnocladus dioicus (L.) K.
Koch
Vernacular
name(s): Kentucky coffeetree
Scientific family
name: Leguminosae
Vernacular family
name: pea
Geographic Information
Plant or plant
parts used in or around the home.
Notes on Poisonous plant parts:
The seeds contain
a low concentration of the alkaloid cytisine, and chewing one or two seeds
would not be enough to produce toxic results. This tree is an ornamental that
survives and produces seeds in the warmer parts of the country; it grows
successfully in Ottawa. In feeding experiments the foliage has proved to be
toxic to sheep and the seeds to cattle (Reynard and Norton 1942, Lampe and
McCann 1985).
Toxic parts:
Leaves, seeds.
Toxic plant chemicals:
Cytisine
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an
animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993)
contained no detailed explanation.
Cattle
General symptoms of
poisoning:
Lungs,
congestion of
Notes on poisoning:
Experimental
feeding of seeds to cattle has caused congestion of the lungs and the fourth
stomach (Reynard and Norton 1942).
Humans
General symptoms of
poisoning:
Coma,
diarrhea, gastroenteritis, nausea, sweating.
Sheep
General symptoms of
poisoning:
Death
Notes on poisoning:
In one case in
Maryland, 11 sheep died within 24 h of ingesting fresh cuttings from the
Kentucky coffeetree (Hill and Duke 1985).
0 Comment:
Post a Comment