Family:
Liliaceae
Toxic Parts:
all
Toxins:
glycosides, saponins
Flower Color:
  • flower color
  • flower color
Found:
meadows, waterside, mountains

Time of Greatest Risk

JFMAMJJASOND

Geographical Distribution

Bog asphodel distribution - United States

Related Species

Bog Asphodel

Narthecium ossifragum

Maiden's Hair, Moor-golds, Yellow Grass, Benbræk, Myrlilja, Rome
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Bog asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum) is a perennial herb with a creeping rhizome which is mainly a problem for cattle. It is native to Western Europe. The species name of “ossifragum” means bone breaker in latin, derived from the observation that sheep grazing on the plant developed brittle bones. The plant produces spikes of bright yellow flowers during the summer months, where it tends to grow on wet, boggy moorlands up to 1000 m in elevation.

Toxic components
All parts of N. ossifragum contains steroidal saponins and furanones. The steroidal saponins are hepatotoxic, causing liver damage. For several hundred years N. ossifragum has been associated with photosensitvity and liver damage in grazing livestock in Europe