Western bleedingheart
General poisoning notes:
Western
bleedingheart (Dicentra formosa) is a native herb found in the rich
forests of southwestern British Columbia. The plant contains the toxic alkaloid
protopine and other alkaloids. This chemical is also found in the other Dicentra
species. Experimental injection of plant extracts has caused poisoning and
death in mice (Black et al. 1930).
Description:
Plants perennial,
scapose, from elongate, stout rhizomes. Leaves (15-)25-40(-55) × (8)12-20(-35)
cm; blade with 3-5 orders of leaflets and lobes; abaxial surface and sometimes
adaxial surface glaucous; penultimate lobes oblong, distal ones usually coarsely
3-toothed at apex, (4-)10-20(-50) × (1.5-)3-4(-8) mm. Inflorescences
paniculate, 2-30-flowered, usually exceeding leaves; bracts linear-lanceolate,
4-7(-12) × 1-2 mm, apex acuminate. Flowers pendent; sepals lanceolate to ovate
or nearly round, 2-7 × 2-3 mm; petals rose-purple, pink, cream, or pale yellow,
rarely white; outer petals (12-)16-19(-24) × 3-6 mm, reflexed portion 2-5 mm;
inner petals (12-)15-18(-22) mm, blade 2-4 mm wide, claw linear-elliptic to
linear-lanceolate, 7-10(-12) × 1-2 mm, crest 1-2 mm diam., exceeding apex by
1-2 mm; filaments of each bundle connate from base to shortly below anthers
except for a 2-3 mm portion of median filament just above base; nectariferous
tissue borne along distinct portion of median filament; style 3-9 mm; stigma
rhomboid, 2-horned. Capsules oblong, 4-5 mm diam. Seeds reniform, ca. 2 mm
diam., finely reticulate, elaiosome present.
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Dicentra formosa (Andr.) Walp.
Vernacular
name(s): western bleedingheart, Pacific bleeding-heart
Scientific family
name: Fumariaceae
Vernacular family
name: frumitory
Geographic Information:
British Columbia.
Toxic parts:
Leaves.
Toxic plant chemicals:
Protopine.
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an
animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993)
contained no detailed explanation.
Cattle
Rodents
General symptoms of
poisoning:
Convulsions,
death, drowsiness.
Notes on poisoning:
Postmortem
examination of mice showed collapsed lungs, blue extremities, and a distended
heart. Death was likely due to respiratory paralysis. The lethal dose from the
crude alkaloids was determined to be between 2.5 and 5.0 mg for a 20-g mouse
(Black et al. 1930).
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