The May 3rd edition of Horse and Hound contains an article on liver damage in horses that is accompanied by the most dreadful misinformation on Ragwort. They state:
This is clearly wrong. these are figures for normal ragwort plants at 8 sites that are documented in one of the best papers on ragwort ecology.
4,760
5,900
11,690
13,370
47,600
63,700
117,740
120,400
Clearly it is wrong to state that each flower carries such a large amount
more detailed scientific information is availavle on this article on Ragwort Seed Production
This is also clearly wrong. Many seeds will not fall in a suitable place and the germination percentage, which is in the range that quite normal for many plants, is a laboratory figure. On average only one plant will be produced from each parent. Indeed it will be less than that since we know that ragwort is actually decreasing.
Horse and Hound has been printing the most dreadfully inaccurate information on ragwort for years and this is only the latest example.
"150,000 the number of seeds each ragwort flower carries"
This is clearly wrong. these are figures for normal ragwort plants at 8 sites that are documented in one of the best papers on ragwort ecology.
4,760
5,900
11,690
13,370
47,600
63,700
117,740
120,400
Clearly it is wrong to state that each flower carries such a large amount
more detailed scientific information is availavle on this article on Ragwort Seed Production
"70 the percentage of ragwort seeds from every flower that will go on to germinate"
This is also clearly wrong. Many seeds will not fall in a suitable place and the germination percentage, which is in the range that quite normal for many plants, is a laboratory figure. On average only one plant will be produced from each parent. Indeed it will be less than that since we know that ragwort is actually decreasing.
Horse and Hound has been printing the most dreadfully inaccurate information on ragwort for years and this is only the latest example.
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