Nicotiana glauca

Abstract

DISTRIBUTION: • Originally from Argentina, this plant is now widespread in disturbed places, e.g. along roads, in old lands and on trampled veld. • It is a common weed on the banks of inland rivers and is often also found as a garden plant. • Now a declared weed that has to be eradicated in South Africa.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION: General: It is a slender, loosely branched evergreen shrub with long, lax shoots, or an erect tree growing up to 5 m high. The stems are weak and the plant lives at most for a few years and is often an annual Leaves: Alternate, smooth, blue-green, leathery and can be very large (up to 20 cm long) on young plants. Flowers: In loose bunches at the ends of branches. Yellow, narrowly tubular and pendulous. Fruit: A papery capsule 2-chambered and contains many small golden-brown seeds. In contrast to flowers, fruits are borne erect.

TOXIC PRINCIPLE: Contains an alkaloid – anabasine.

SYSTEMS AFFECTED: Central nervous and urogenital system.

CLINICAL SIGNS: CNS: The symptoms are the same as those for nicotine poisoning, viz; salivation, rapid pulse and breathing, slight tremor of the eyelids, lips and muscles, followed by spasms. Urogenital: Anabasine results in malformations (arthrogryposis, cleft palate, deformed head) in lambs if fed to ewes during gestation (30 - 60 days of gestation).