Celery-leaved buttercup
General poisoning notes:
Celery-leaved buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus) is a native herb found across most of Canada. This plant contains a toxic irritant that produces protoanemonin upon mastication. All types of livestock can become ill upon ingestion, but cattle are most commonly affected. Horses and goats have also been poisoned (Cooper and Johnson 1984, Fuller and McClintock 1986).
Fuller, T. C., McClintock, E. 1986. Poisonous plants of California. Univ. California Press, Berkeley, Calif., USA. 432 pp.
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Ranunculus sceleratus L.
Vernacular name(s): celery-leaved buttercup
Scientific family name: Ranunculaceae
Vernacular family name: crowfoot
Ranunculus sceleratus L.
Geographic Information
Alberta, British Columbia, Labrador, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories. Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory.
Notes on Poisonous plant parts:
The plant juices contain the glycoside, which is converted to the irritant protoanemonin. The concentration is highest during flowering (Cooper and Johnson 1984).
Toxic parts:
plant juices
Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:
Ranunculin, a glycoside, becomes a volatile irritant, protoanemonin, after enzyme-mediated conversion through mastication (Cooper and Johnson 1984).
Toxic plant chemicals:
Ranunculin
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.
Cattle
General symptoms of poisoning:
Abdominal pains, blindness, constipation, diarrhea, gait, unsteady, mouth, irritation of, salivation.
Notes on poisoning:
Ingesting the celery-leaved buttercup causes salivation, abdominal pain, and inflammation of the mouth. In more serious cases, severe ulceration of the mouth and of the digestive and urinary systems occurs. The animal excretes dark-colored diarrhea and urine. Unsteady gait occurs in the hind legs, and vision can be impaired or lost. Convulsion precedes death, although fatalities are rare. Animals should not be allowed to graze pastures for at least 2 weeks after spraying with 2,4-D because the plants may be grazed selectively by animals (Cooper and Johnson 1984).
Goats
General symptoms of poisoning:
Abdominal pains, death, mouth, irritation of
Horses
General symptoms of poisoning:
Blindness, temporary, colic, convulsions, muscle spasms, paralysis.
Notes on poisoning:
A horse was poisoned after ingesting celery-leaved buttercup. Symptoms included paralysis, muscle tremors, colic, convulsions, and loss of hearing and sight. Recovery occurred over a few days but weakness persisted (Cooper and Johnson 1984).
