Buttercups
Buttercups (Ranunculus spp.) are perennial herbaceous plants with fibrous roots, erect hairless stems, and leaves deeply divided into three lobes. The upper leaves are smaller. The flowers vary from few to many, and have five bright yellow petals and five green sepals. Buttercups are commonly found in wet areas throughout North America.
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Some, but not all, species of buttercups contain ranunculin which forms the toxic blistering agent protoanemonin when the plant is chewed or crushed. When dried, buttercups lose their toxicity. Other plants that contain protoanemonins include hellebore (Helleborus spp.), marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), clematis (Clematis spp.) and anemone (Ranunculus spp.)
Ingestion of plants containing protoanemonins results in excessive salivation, mild colic, and diarrhea varying in severity depending on the amount the horse has eaten.
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