Spatulate-leaved heliotrope
General poisoning notes:
Spatulate-leaved
heliotrope (Heliotropium curassavicum) is a native herb found in
southern parts of western Canada. This plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
It and other members of the genus (Heliotropium species) are used in
herbal teas and have been used in several parts of the world for medicinal
reasons. Over consumption of such teas may cause veno-occlusive disease of the
liver (Budd-Chiari syndrome), with hepatic vein thrombosis (Lampe and McCann
1985, Huxtable 1989).
Description
A glabrous
perennial up to 45 cm tall. Stem and branches decumbent. Leaves 15-40 x 4-8 mm,
glabrous, oblanceolate or-linear-lanceolate, obtuse, nerves faint.
Inflorescence terminal, simple or bifurcate, 3-6 cm long, with usually
uniseriate flowers. Calyx 1.5 mm long, persistent, 5-partite into
ovate-lanceolate lobes. Corolla white, tube short, c. 1.7 mm long, glabrous;
lobes c. 1 mm long, obtuse-undulate, ± patent. Anthers 0.7-0.8 mm long,
sessile, broader at the base, attached 0.7 mm from corolla base. Stigma
conical, c. 0.5 mm long, sessile, stigmatic ring prominent. Ovary and fruit
glabrous. Nutlets 2 mm long, brown, back ± rugose.
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Heliotropium curassavicum L.
Vernacular
name(s): spatulate-leaved heliotrope
Scientific family
name: Boraginaceae
Vernacular family
name: borage.
Geographic Information
Alberta, Manitoba,
Saskatchewan.
Toxic parts:
Leaves.
Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:
The heliotropes
contain hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids of the nonacyclic diester type.
These alkaloids can cause veno-occlusive disease (Huxtable 1989).
Toxic plant chemicals:
Unknown chemical
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an
animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993)
contained no detailed explanation.
Humans
General symptoms of
poisoning:
Abdominal
pains, anorexia, ascites, death, diarrhea, liver, cirrhosis of, nausea,
vomiting.
Notes on poisoning:
Symptoms of
over-consumption of these plants may result in veno-occlusive disease of the
liver. This is accompanied by abdominal pain and ascites. Cirrhosis of the
liver can result. Other results are hepatomegaly and splenomegaly. Death may
result. There is no specific treatment for toxin-induced hepatic veno-occlusive
disease (Lampe and McCann 1985, Huxtable 1989).
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