Laburnum
Laburnums are popular ornamental trees in the south coastal region of B.C. They are grown for their bright yellow pea-like flowers. Poisoning cases have been reported when children eat the seeds contained in pods. The seeds and flowers contain cytisine, an alkaloid similar in its actions to nicotine. Ingestion results almost immediately in vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, weakness, incoordination, sweating, pallor, headache, dilated pupils, and a rapid heart beat. Golden Chain poisonings are rarely serious because only small quantities of cytisine are usually ingested. Activated charcoal is an effective absorbent of this alkaloid.
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Mount Lehman
British Columbia
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