Wild indigo
General poisoning notes:
Wild indigo (Baptisia tinctoria) is a native perennial herb found in southern Ontario. Cheeke and Schull (1985) call the plant toxic but no cases of human poisoning have been reported.
Description:
The multiple bushy stems of Baptisia tinctoria reach 2 to 3 feet tall. The leaves are silver-green; each is divided into three leaflets about ½ inch long. The flowers are yellow and grow in spikes 1½ to 3 inches long.
Baptisia tinctoria (L.) Br.
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Baptisia tinctoria (L.) Br.
Vernacular name(s): wild indigo
Scientific family name: Leguminosae
Vernacular family name: pea
Distribution:
Baptisia tinctoria is found throughout the eastern United States, west to Minnesota, and south to Florida. As it is rare in some parts of its range, it is protected by some state authorities: in Kentucky it is threatened; in Maine it is considered endangered. It prefers dry meadow and open woodland environments.
Toxic parts:
All parts, leaves.
Toxic plant chemicals:
Cytisine, baptisin.
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993) contained no detailed explanation.
