Poisonous or not?

Thanks Paul.

 

I really really don't want to sound offensive but what is really very obvious is that you have never studied the subject. I suspect you have little knowledge of biochemistry either.

This has been researched extensively several times it can produce a lot of seed. The seed rarely travels more than a short distance.

I also know of cases. where when this was properly investigated ragwort was not the cause. One French study actually involved deliberately poisoning animals because it was thought that there must be something different about ragwort in France. THEY COULD NOT FIND A SINGLE POISONING EXAMPLE IN THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE.
A later study found that there were only SIX CASES IN AROUND A DECADE.
The Irish agriculture minister has publicly stated it is not a severe problem and there is a Dutch paper which refers to its rarity.

This is most definitely NOT the case the alkaloids DO MOST EMPHATICALLY NOT accumulate in the bloodstream. They are excreted quickly. Damage caused by them can accumulate but only if they are EATEN Absorbed through the skin they are in the wrong form.

This is a quote from an expert based at the Medical Research Council who it seems has made a lifetime's study out of the alkaloids in Ragwort ( They actually occur in 3% of the world's flora.) He has actually written a highly technical 393 page book on the subject.
He makes this point a number of times citing his research and those of others. This is one of the more easily readable examples of it in the text.

"Alkaloids... applied to the body externally are
absorbed through the skin, but at under 5% of the level ingested
orally )( Brauchi et al) Moreover, these remain largely in the form of
N-oxides which are much less toxic that the corresponding basic PAs .Thus dermal absorption is unlikely to be harmful."

I don't want to sound patronising but do you regularly read texts like this? Do you know what N-oxides are?

There has been a campaign and people have been convinced by false data.
Compare it with the politicians who have called for controls on a chemical called DHMO.
As little as a thimbleful can kill, it is used in nuclear power stations, in the manufacture of plastics and pesticides and contributes to the greenhouse effect. There have been many calls for a ban until people realise that DHMO is DiHydryogen Monoxide or H2O. Yes plain ordinary water. People have called for a ban on water because it was presented as a dangerous chemical!

This is what has happened with ragwort and it is proved by examples in this thread where people have read the scare stories without reading the science.
If you have proper peer-reviewed scientific literature that contradicts me then we can consider it. But it seems to me that you are just repeating what you have been told without having any real in depth knowledge. I wouldn't expect people to have this knowledge but it is exactly what has led to the hysteria about ragwort. Do you know which other very common plants contain the same chemicals?

 

This is another myth. It is a NATIVE plant in the UK. If you doubt me look in any botany book.
It isn't increasing either. That has been studied. What has happened is there has been a campaing and people are noticing it now.

 

I would say from the amount that is growing we should be knee deep in dead cattle probably stories are exagerated as botanist says.