Leafy spurge
General poisoning notes:
Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) is a naturalized herb that grows across southern Canada. The plant is usually not ingested by livestock, but if large amounts are incorporated in hay, poisoning can occur. Sheep are more resistant to leafy spurge, but collapse and death have occurred (Kingsbury 1964). Some humans can develop dermatitis and irritation from the latex.
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Euphorbia esula L.
Vernacular name(s): leafy spurge
Scientific family name: Euphorbiaceae
Vernacular family name: spurge
Euphorbia esula L.
Euphorbia esula L.
Geographic Information
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan
Toxic parts:
Latex
Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:
Seip and Hecker (1982) found ingenol derivatives, which are diterpenes, to be the irritant factors in leafy spurge. Some of the chemicals were weak tumor promoters.
Toxic plant chemicals:
5-deoxyingenol
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993) contained no detailed explanation.
