Digitalis purpurea
Biennial plant with a single flower stalk rising 1.2m from a rosette of basal ovate leaves 15 - 30cm long. Flowers in raceme: each purple (rarely white) flower is about 40mm long. Seeds, 1mm dia. in capsule.
None.
Very common on waste ground and on the edges of the bush all over NZ. Selected (often rather unattractive white) forms are sometimes grown in gardens.
Digitoxin and other glycosides. Toxicity retained on drying.
Stock will not eat foxglove (because of the taste) unless they are absolutely desperate. Most cardiac glycoside toxicity is iatrogenic in dogs and cats. Poultry can be poisoned.
Vomiting and diarrhoea, anorexia, slow, bounding pulse. Possibly tachyarrhythmias.
Gut irritation.
Clinical signs and history.
Class 1 antiarrhythmic drugs if necessary, otherwise symptomatic. Antidigoxin antibodies can be obtained (with difficulty) but are very expensive.
Arrhythmias are potentially fatal, but it is rare for enough foxglove to be eaten to cause death.
Connor, HE, The Poisonous plants in New Zealand, 2nd ed.,1977, Government Publications Ltd., Wellington
Parton K, Bruere A.N. and Chambers J.P. Veterinary Clinical Toxicology, 3rd ed. 2006. Veterinary Continuing Education Publication No. 249
