Northern water-hemlock
General poisoning notes:
Northern
water-hemlock (Cicuta virosa) is a native perennial herb found in wet
soils across northern Canada. It contains lower quantities of the toxic
chemicals that cause poisoning in humans and livestock. However, Frohne and
Pfander (1983) mention a case of human poisoning in Europe after ingestion of
some rootstock of this plant. Livestock can also be poisoned if enough of the
plants are ingested. Instances of poisoning in Canada should be fewer for
northern water-hemlock because the concentration of chemicals is lower and the
plant has essentially a boreal distribution outside of major livestock-growing
areas. See additional information under Cicuta maculata
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Cicuta virosa L.
Vernacular
name(s): northern water-hemlock
Scientific family
name: Apiaceae
Vernacular family
name: parsley
Geographic Information
Alberta, British
Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon
Territory.
Toxic parts:
Leaves, roots.
Toxic plant chemicals:
cicutol
cicutoxin
Chemical
diagram(s) are courtesy of Ruth McDiarmid, Biochemistry Technician, Kamloops
Range Station, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Kamploops, British Columbia,
Canada.
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an
animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993)
contained no detailed explanation.
0 Comment:
Post a Comment