Silvery lupine-Lupinus argenteus Pursh-Poisonous plant

Silvery lupine

General poisoning notes:

Silvery lupine (Lupinus argenteus) is a western range plant that has caused sickness and death in sheep in western North America. Ingestion of this plant by pregnant cattle can also cause teratogenic effects in calves (Cheeke and Schull 1985, Keeler 1989). See additional notes under silky lupine (Lupinus sericeus).

Description

The perennial silver-stem lupine bears from one to several, occasionally branched stems, each 1-2 ft. tall and covered with hairs. Stalked, palmately-compound, silvery-green leaves line the stems. Violet, pea-like flowers are arranged in a showy spike, up to 8 in. long, atop the stems. The flowers of silver-stem lupine are sometimes pink and rarely white. This species spreads quickly to form colonies.

Silvery Lupine is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae), which includes trees, shrubs, herbs, and vines with compound or occasionally simple leaves and flowers usually in clusters.

Nomenclature:

Scientific Name: Lupinus argenteus Pursh

Vernacular name(s): silvery lupine

Scientific family name: Leguminosae

Vernacular family name: pea

Geographic Information

Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan.

Notes on Poisonous plant parts:

The concentration of anagyrine decreases in the leaves once the seeds begin to form, and then is greatest in the seeds. Total alkaloid content is greatest in the seeds. See notes under silky lupine (Lupinus sericeus) for additional information.

Toxic parts:

Leaves, seeds.

Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:

Two alkaloids, lupanine and sparteine, (both quinolizidine alkaloids), are probably involved in causing poisoning in sheep (Keeler 1989). This species also has been found to contain 3.34 g/kg of anagyrine, exceeding the minimum level of 1.44 g/kg needed to cause crooked calf disease (Davis 1982, Davis and Stout 1986).

Toxic plant chemicals:

Anagyrine, lupanine.

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:

Arthrogryposis, palatoschisis, scoliosis, torticollis.

Sheep

General symptoms of poisoning:

breathing, labored

coma

convulsions

death by asphyxiation

trembling

Notes on poisoning:

Symptoms of ingestion include labored breathing, which may be accompanied by snoring, trembling, convulsions, coma, and death from respiratory paralysis (Keeler 1989). See additional notes under silky lupine Lupinus sericeus).