Botanical Name

Ipomoea tricolor Cav.  [4]

Synonyms

Ipomoea rubrocaerulea Hook

Pharbitis rubrocaerulea Planch.

Pharbitis tricolor (Cav.) Chittenden. [5]

Family

Convolvulaceae

Vernacular Names

Description

Ipomoea tricolor is a member of the Convolvulaceae family. It is a perennial climber which can grow up to 5 m long. [5]

Distribution

Southern N. America – Mexico to the West Indies and tropical America. Today it is generally found globally and sometime considered a weed. [5]

Plant Use

The plant is used mainly as ornament because of the showy flowers they possessed.

Toxic Parts

Seeds. [1]

Toxin

Peptide-type ergot alkaloids ergosine and ergosinine (only slightly different form the psychotomimetic lysergic acid diethylamide). The seeds also contains ergot indole alkaloids i.e. ergine and isoergine, both being amides of lysergic acid. [1]

Risk Management

The plant basically does not posed much danger to people as the seeds are seldom seen and are not attractive enough for children to consume them. However, it may prove to be a danger to livestock.

Clinical Findings

The effects of ingestion of the seeds of Ipomoea tricolor is similar to those of LSD and are dose dependent.

Initial symptoms from ingestion of small amounts of the seeds includes visual distorsion, restlessness, relaxation, heightened awareness and increased rapport with other people. Ingestion of a medium amount leads to visual and auditory hallucination and spatial distortion lasting from 1 to 4 hours. High dose of the seeds will lead to euphoria, drowsiness, nausea, and a cold feeling in the extremities. Abuse of the seeds can produce deleterious results leading to complete dissociation from reality and even cause death. [1] [2]

Management

The treatment of the poisoning that of LSD ingestion.

Pharmacological intervention in the form of anxiolytics may be necessary when quiet environment and reassurance cannot control the patient’s behaviour or symptoms. This is normally in the form of Benzodiaxepines like Diazepam or Lorazepam. Antihypertensive, clonidine, is able to reduce some of the signs and symptoms of the toxicity. [3]

References

1.     Fuller TC., McClintock E., Poisonous Plants of California, University of California Press, Berkeley 1988 pg. 122 – 123

2.     Dart RC., Medical Toxicity Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, 2004 pg. 1707

3.     LSD Poisoning Medscape Reference (http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/833040-overview) Accessed on 12^th October 2012

4.     Poisonous Plants of Canada (http://www.cbif.gc.ca/pls/itisca/next?v_tsn=30820&p_ifx=cbif) Accessed on 12^th October 2012

5.Plants for a Future (http://server9.web-mania.com/users/pfafardea/database/plants.php?Ipomoea+tricolor) Accessed on 12^th October 2012