Wild false indigo
General poisoning notes:
Wild false indigo (Baptisia leucantha) is a native perennial herb found in southern Ontario. The plant contains toxic alkaloids that have caused poisoning in cattle (Hansen 1930). This plant is potentially poisonous to humans, but no cases of human poisoning have been reported (Cheeke and Schull 1985).
Description:
Stems - To 1.5m tall, branching, glabrous, glaucous, herbaceous. Leaves - Alternate, trifoliolate, at least some with petiole .2-1.5cm long. Leaflets oblong, oblanceolate, or narrowly obovate, +/-6cm long, 2cm broad, glabrous, glaucous below, entire, minutely mucronate(-1mm long). Center leaflet sessile or on stalk shorter than lateral leaflets. Stipules to +1cm long, glabrous, erect, +2mm wide. Inflorescence - An axillary raceme to +30(50)cm long (high). Flowers - White, pedicillate, 2-3cm long, papilionaceous. Calyx tube not more than 1/2 the length of the corolla, cylindrical, typically -1cm long. Stamens 10. Fruits inflated, cylindrical, 2.5-4cm long, 1-1.5cm wide, many seeded, with beak at apex +/-5mm long.
Baptisia leucantha T. & G.
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Baptisia leucantha T. & G.
Vernacular name(s): wild false indigo
Scientific family name: Leguminosae
Vernacular family name: pea
Geographic Information:
Ontario.
Toxic parts:
Flowers, stems, leaves
Toxic plant chemicals:
Cytisine.
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993) contained no detailed explanation.
