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Locoweed

Locoweed. By: Jessie, and Kayla. How to identify it?!?!?!. It is a leafy perennial with short stems and compound leaves that grow in tuftlike forms from a single taproot. Some species may be covered with silvery hairs. The flowers are often white or purple. Where it Grows.

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Locoweed

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  1. Locoweed By: Jessie, and Kayla

  2. How to identify it?!?!?! • It is a leafy perennial with short stems and compound leaves that grow in tuftlike forms from a single taproot. Some species may be covered with silvery hairs. The flowers are often white or purple.

  3. Where it Grows • It grows in the West and Southwest in North America. • It is often found in dry, sandy soil.

  4. Dangers • Locoweed contains a toxic element called Swainsonine. • The whole plant is toxic. Horses become unpredictable and dangerous when eaten, and slowly become paralyzed. • When ingested more than 30% of the body weight it affects the horse’s brain over a period of about 6 weeks or longer. • Since it is not very palatable, horses won’t eat it. However they can become “addicted” to it.

  5. Symptoms • Loss of sensory and motor nerve function, central nervous system depression, progressive loss of coordination, inability to eat and drink, as well as fetal death and birth defects. • Signs of affected horses: they may bob their heads, and adopt an exaggerated, high-stepping gaits or stagger and fall.

  6. Treatment • There is no treatment for seriously affected horses, and its effects are irreversible. • Horses with less severe poisoning may recover when access to the weed is removed.

  7. Work Cited • http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/?plant_toxicity=toxic-to-horses • http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/php/plants.php?action=display&ispecies=horses • http://equisearch.com/horses_care/feeding/feed/poisonousplants_041105/index2.aspx

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