What is locoweed?
Vic Perry
Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Locoweed comes from the Spanish word for crazy or mad. It is a toxic plant (of various types) that produces swainsonine, a phytotoxin harmful to livestock. It can come from any number of plants and is fairly widespread in the Western mountains. Blossoms on locoweed might be blue, purple, yellow or white. Livestock that eat the weed can become lethargic, emaciated and lose their sense of direction.
Marshall Trimble is Arizona’s off
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