Larkspurs (Delphinium, Ranunculaceae) are poisonous plants found on rangelands throughout Western North America.� Two main structural groups of norditerpene alkaloids, the N-(methylsuccinimido) anthranoyllycoctonine type (MSAL-type) and the non-MSAL type, are responsible for larkspur-induced poisoning. �Information on the alkaloid composition is lacking for a number of Delphinium species.� The objective of this study was to profile the alkaloid composition of several Delphinium species.� Not all Delphinium species contain alkaloid profiles that pose the same toxic risk.� Two species, D. ramosum and D. occidentale, are represented each by two alkaloid profiles, where one profile from each species contained significantly greater concentrations of the MSAL-type alkaloids than the other.� Plants containing each respective alkaloid profile were unique in their geographical distribution.� Populations of these chemotypes will likely differ in their toxic potential and consequently pose different risks of poisoning when grazed by livestock species.� This information has important implications in grazing management decisions on Delphinium-infested rangelands and demonstrates that botanical classification alone is not an adequate indicator of relative risk of toxicity.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.