General poisoning notes:

Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra) is not native to Canada but is occasionally planted as an ornamental tree in southern Ontario. It is winter-hardy in Ottawa. Cattle have been poisoned in the eastern United States, where this tree is a native species. Symptoms are mostly gastrointestinal and neuromuscular (Kornheiser 1983). This plant is unlikely to cause livestock poisoning because it is rare in Canada. The fruits of this plant may be attractive to children and could cause poisoning if ingested.

References:

Kornheiser, K. M. 1983. Buckeye poisoning in cattle. Vet. Med. Small Anim. Clin., 78: 769-770.

Lampe, K. F., McCann, M. A. 1985. AMA Handbook of poisonous and injurious plants. American Medical Assoc. Chicago, Ill., USA. 432 pp.

Nomenclature:

Scientific Name: Aesculus glabra Willd.

Vernacular name(s): Ohio buckeye

Scientific family name: Hippocastanaceae

Vernacular family name: horse-chestnut

Go to ITIS*^ca for more taxonomic information on: Aesculus glabra

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

Plant or plant parts used in or around the home.

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

Ohio buckeye:

Images: images.google.com

Toxic parts:

mature fruit

References:

Kornheiser, K. M. 1983. Buckeye poisoning in cattle. Vet. Med. Small Anim. Clin., 78: 769-770.

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:

ataxia
gait, unsteady
opisthotonos
torticollis

References:

Kornheiser, K. M. 1983. Buckeye poisoning in cattle. Vet. Med. Small Anim. Clin., 78: 769-770.

Humans

General symptoms of poisoning:

death
gastroenteritis

References:

Lampe, K. F., McCann, M. A. 1985. AMA Handbook of poisonous and injurious plants. American Medical Assoc. Chicago, Ill., USA. 432 pp.