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Woolly Locoweed

(Astragalus mollisimus Torr.)

Fabaceae (Legume Family)

young plants ▼▲

flowering plants in Oklahoma in April ▼▲

flowering plants in Oklahome and southern Kansas in April.

flower details ▼▲

leaf detail

Seed pods with characteristic bent or curved shape for know for the species.

 

Woolly locoweed is a native range/prairie simple perennial plant with a sprawling growth habit and often quite showy flowers.  It flowers in early-mid spring (depending on latitude), with seed pods following soon afterward.  The leaves are very woolly-- often a blue-gray in color from the hairs, and the seed pods will be short and bent/curved in the middle.

Woolly locoweed can accumlute toxic levels of selenium as well as produce toxic alkaloids for grazing animals.  Normally, livestock will avoid if palatable forage available, but in overgrazed areas, poisoning may occur.

·         Woolly Locoweed (pp. 302-303 in Weeds of the Great Plains; not in Weeds of the Northeast)

o   This plant is in the Astragalus genus, which has many species that are selenium accumulators

o   Woolly locoweed also produces alkaloids

o   Has white-woolly pinnately-compound  leaves on short, sprawling stems; grows about 6-12” tall and up to 2 feet across

o   Flowers are dusty-pink to purplish, on white-woolly stems in mid-spring (April); fruit is a short, curved, slightly fuzzy pod

o   Has a characteristic, persistent, musky odor that is memorable and can aid in identifying it as an Astragalus

o   Common on dry prairies of western Midwest on prairies, rangeland, roadsides

o   Also causes “loco” behavior if consumed, but usually not consumed if adequate forages

 

 

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