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
Heliotropium curassavicum L.
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).
