General poisoning notes:

Lamb's-quarters (Chenopodium album) is a naturalized annual herb found in disturbed soils across Canada. This plant can cause sickness and death in livestock if large quantities are ingested. The plants can accumulate both nitrates and soluble oxalates. Cattle and sheep have been poisoned. Humans who consume large quantities of the plant and are subsequently exposed to sunlight suffer photosensitization (Whitehead and Moxon 1952, Cooper and Johnson 1984).

References:

Cooper, M. R., Johnson, A. W. 1984. Poisonous plants in Britain and their effects on animals and man. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, England. 305 pp.

Nomenclature:

Scientific Name: Chenopodium album L.
 

Vernacular name(s): lamb's-quarters

Scientific family name: Chenopodiaceae

Vernacular family name: goosefoot

Go to ITIS*^ca for more taxonomic information on:Chenopodium album

References:

Agriculture Quebec. 1975. Noms des maladies des plantes du Canada/ Names of plant diseases in Canada. , Quebec City, Que., Canada. 288 pp.

Alex, J. F., Cayouette, R., Mulligan, G. A. 1980. Common and botanical names of weeds in Canada/Noms populaire et scientifiques des plantes nuisibles du Canada. Revised. Agric. Can. Publ., Ottawa, Ont., Canada. 132 pp.

Bailey, L. H., Bailey, E. Z. 1976. Hortus third. Revised. MacMillan, New York, N.Y., USA. 1290 pp.

Scoggan, H. J. 1978, 1979. The flora of Canada. Nat. Mus. Nat. Sci. (Ottawa) Publ. Bot. 7(1)-7(4). 1711 pp.

Van Wijk, H. L. 1911. A dictionary of plant names. Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, The Netherlands. 1444 pp.

Victorin, M. 1964. Flore Laurentienne. 2nd ed. Univ. Montreal, Montreal, Que., Canada. 952 pp.

Geographic Information

Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland
Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Yukon Territory
 

References:

Bailey, L. H., Bailey, E. Z. 1976. Hortus third. Revised. MacMillan, New York, N.Y., USA. 1290 pp.

Boivin, B. 1966, 1967. Énumération des plantes du Canada. Provencheria 6. Nat. Can. (Que.) 93: 253-274; 371-437; 583-646; 989-1063. 94: 131-157; 471-528; 625-655.

Image or illustration

lamb's-quarters:

Images: images.google.com

Toxic parts:

leaves
stems
 

References:

Gilbert, C. S., Eppson, H. F., Bradley, W. B., Beath, O. A. 1946. Nitrate accumulation in cultivated plants and weeds. Univ. Wyo. Agric. Exp. Stn. Bull., 277. 39 pp.

Whitehead, E. I., Moxon, A. L. 1952. Nitrate poisoning. S. D. Agric. Exp. Stn. Bull., 424. 24 pp.

Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:

This plant can accumulate high levels of nitrates and oxalates. The high oxalate content is thought to be responsible for most cases of poisoning (Cooper and Johnson 1984).

Toxic plant chemicals:

nitrate
oxalate
 

References:

Cooper, M. R., Johnson, A. W. 1984. Poisonous plants in Britain and their effects on animals and man. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, England. 305 pp.

Gilbert, C. S., Eppson, H. F., Bradley, W. B., Beath, O. A. 1946. Nitrate accumulation in cultivated plants and weeds. Univ. Wyo. Agric. Exp. Stn. Bull., 277. 39 pp.

Whitehead, E. I., Moxon, A. L. 1952. Nitrate poisoning. S. D. Agric. Exp. Stn. Bull., 424. 24 pp.

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:

breathing, shallow
death
diarrhea
recumbency
skin, yellow pigment
unconsciousness
 

References:

Cooper, M. R., Johnson, A. W. 1984. Poisonous plants in Britain and their effects on animals and man. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, England. 305 pp.

Horses

Humans

Sheep

Swine

Information Source: ©Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System, Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility.