Help with Plant/Weed ID

[Veem]

Sounds a bit like ragwort in its effect on animals,
Ragwort isn't eaten by cows or horses in its green state but if dry, like in hay or its dried on the stem in the heat, its very poisonous.
My father was a farmer in the New Forest and in the early fifties lost a herd of heifers to ragwort poisoning the summer being very hot, its effect wasn't known back then.
The poison did huge damage to the animals liver and they got the staggers, falling over and had to be put down.

[Veem]

Sounds a bit like ragwort in its effect on animals,
Ragwort isn't eaten by cows or horses in its green state but if dry, like in hay or its dried on the stem in the heat, its very poisonous.
My father was a farmer in the New Forest and in the early fifties lost a herd of heifers to ragwort poisoning the summer being very hot, its effect wasn't known back then.
The poison did huge damage to the animals liver and they got the staggers, falling over and had to be put down.

Generally you can bank on any UK horse owner knowing about ragwort and they'll go to great lengths to get rid of any they have on their land. It is still fairly uncommon though to come across French owners who know of its risks.

Our biggest problem is Catsear (aka false dandelion, flatweed etc) which can cause Australian Stringhalt in horses. The change in weather here over the past several years has made life very comfortable for this incredibly prolific plant and around us I see many lawns that are solely made up of this pest. Some fields look as it is being grown as a crop.

[Doug]

Not familiar with catsear [mention]Veem[/mention]
Ok did a google and found it.

[Crystal]

We are lucky to have a big paddock mower which collects the cut grass (and the droppings ) which usually keeps any nasty things under control...but this year its growing so fast we cant keep up! Usually by now the grass is gone and we are feeding hay!

[exile]

Sounds a bit like ragwort in its effect on animals,
Ragwort isn't eaten by cows or horses in its green state but if dry, like in hay or its dried on the stem in the heat, its very poisonous.
My father was a farmer in the New Forest and in the early fifties lost a herd of heifers to ragwort poisoning the summer being very hot, its effect wasn't known back then.
The poison did huge damage to the animals liver and they got the staggers, falling over and had to be put down.

Generally you can bank on any UK horse owner knowing about ragwort and they'll go to great lengths to get rid of any they have on their land. It is still fairly uncommon though to come across French owners who know of its risks.

Our biggest problem is Catsear (aka false dandelion, flatweed etc) which can cause Australian Stringhalt in horses. The change in weather here over the past several years has made life very comfortable for this incredibly prolific plant and around us I see many lawns that are solely made up of this pest. Some fields look as it is being grown as a crop.

I am sure that I read somewhere that ragwort in France is less damaging than in the UK and that generally the further south you go the lower the risk. That might be due to temperatures or levels of uv light

[Veem]

[quote=exile post_id=1962 time=1628791319 user_id=55
I am sure that I read somewhere that ragwort in France is less damaging than in the UK and that generally the further south you go the lower the risk. That might be due to temperatures or levels of uv light
[/quote]

I don't quite see how that could be as it is exactly the same plant that grows in the UK, except that here (this year) we have specimens over 6' high rather than the usual 18-24". More and more French website contain warnings to horse owners to make them aware of the potential dangers.

[exile]

It's a question of the levels of toxins that the plant produces in different conditions.

To give a reverse example, you can grow cannabis in the garden in the UK. So why do the drug gang take over buildings, set up heating systems and uv light arrays? Simply because what is grown in the UK garden would in normal years contain almost no active cannabinols. Their growing conditions actually intensifies the levels - which is why cannabis has moved from being relatively benign to rather dangerous.

However if you are saying that the French are becoming more aware of a problem perhaps the report I saw was not correct, or maybe the sensitisation is in the northern departements.

[Blaze]

[mention]exile[/mention] Veem is absolutely right in expressing the dangers of ragwort (sénéçon de jacob), which has been well known in Anglophone countries for decades.

I attach a link to the IFCE (the state-owned Institut français du cheval et de l'equitation), which includes the French national studs, and which is highly respected in France, though it has taken them years to recognise the dangers of ragwort.

https://equipedia.ifce.fr/elevage-et-en ... Y08Ny_jacI

If you look at the link, you will see a comparison of 3 types of Sénéçon and the tall ragwort (sénéçon de jacob) is shown to be the most toxic and which can be seen growing almost everywhere in France. Sénéçon de jacob is very resistant to drought and cold winters so it is not just be a problem in the north.

Horses, cattle and sheep will only eat ragwort growing in a field if they have nothing else. They don't like the taste when it's growing in the field, but dried, it has no taste which is why they will eat it unknowingly in hay. Horse owners who cannot make their own hay need to be very sure of who they're buying it from ...

[exile]

OK I accept the points but that then raises the question why Ragwort has only now begun to be seriously recognised as a problem in France.

[Blaze]

That is a good question, Exile, and one we have been asking for years ! Could it be due to a reluctance to acknowledge that it was recognised long ago by Anglophone countries ?
It has been acknowledged by most vets for quite a while now - exactly the same vets who told me 25 years ago that the ragwort growing in France wasn't the same and that it wasn't toxic for horses ....