Tansy? Ragwort? (1 Viewer)

[eddieh]

I’ve been discussing something on another forum and am getting a little confused about something.

The discussion was about Common Ragwort. Somebody said that it is known as Tansy in Scotland (or maybe, just a particular part of Scotland) and I have found out that it is sometimes referred to as Tansy Ragwort, but to call it Tansy I find confusing. What, in these places, is Tansy known as? Just to confuse me further, I have found references to culinary uses for Tansy on some websites and descriptions of its poisonous nature on others. Are people confusing the two plants?

 

[chris butterworth]

I think people are confusing two different species. Ragwort, I suppose they mean Common Ragwort - the food plant of Cinnabar Moth caterpillars, the orange and black striped ones out now- and Tansy. Ragwort is the one with long outer ray florets ( petals) while Tansy has yellow, button-like flowers. The leaves of Ragwort are coarsly divided while Tansy has much more finely divided leaves, almost 'ferny'. I know Ragwort is poisonous to horses ( and probably humans), as for Tansy it used to be used around Eastertime in savoury puddings, supposedly as one of the bitter herbs associated with Christianity.

 

[Capercaillie71]

Common Ragwort plants (Senecio jacobaea) are widely referred to as Tansies in this part of Scotland, particularly among farmers, to whom they are a poisonous weed of grassland. It is a colloquial term and I doubt if the people who use the term would distinguish between ragwort and other superficially similar, but much less common yellow flowers such as the 'real' Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare). People here who can tell the difference (ie. botanists/naturalists) usually refer to Senecio jacobaea as ragwort.

 

[Peewit]

I have always heard of 'Ragwort' being called 'Common Ragwort' in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. I have never associated it with the name of 'Tansey' at all.
I remember having to dig it up in back field as it took over a bit. I wanted my pony to remain safe. Lots of tap roots to deal with and a nightmare to get rid of. You had to burn it to be sure that 'no' animal would be affected if they ate it

Tansey looks different all together with larger individual flowers and I am sure much less poisionous for Ponies.

Kathy
x

 

[eddieh]

Thanks for your answers. It would appear then, that in the area(s) of Scotland where ragwort is known as tansy, it is possible that no differentiation is made between the two plants. This leaves me with the website question. Is tansy poisonous or not, or is it the case that it can be used for cooking but is poisonous in large doses? I have seen mention of its use as a treatment for worms (parasitic) which would suggest that it is poisonous to them if nothing else.

 

[dunedin]

This is what I've read (Wikipedia) about the Tansy which has a different flower head(more button like) to the Ragwort.
Tansy contains volatile oils which can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals and, if taken internally, result in toxic by-products being produced in the liver and digestive tract as the plant's oils are broken down. Tansy is highly toxic to internal parasites, and has been used by herbalists to expel worms for centuries.
Culinary uses

Tansy was formerly used as a flavoring for puddings and omelets, but is almost unknown now. It was certainly relished in days gone by, for Gerarde speaks of them as "pleasant in taste", and he recommends tansy sweetmeats as "an especial thing against the gout, if every day for a certain space a reasonable quantitie thereof be eaten fasting". In Yorkshire, tansy and caraway seeds were traditionally used in biscuits served at funerals
I know some farmers pull Ragwort out by hand and remove from the area, it is quite easily done as the roots are shallow having done it myself