Pig's Ears

Pig's ears (Cotyledon spp) are succulent plants native to South Africa. Plants from this genus are shrublets, generally succulent, with fleshily woody, brittle stems and persistent succulent leaves. The flowers are pendulous and tubular, borne at the tips of stout, rather long peduncles, mainly in short cymes.

All parts of these plants contain toxic cardiac glycosides of the bufadienolide form. There have been numerous cases of poisoning from Cotyledon spp in ruminants in South Africa. The bufadienolides cause both acute and chronic poisoning. They are classified as neurotoxins, and affect the nervous system.