Oxytropis spp.

Oxytropis spp. is toxic to horses. The reported severity is critical. Also known as Locoweed, Lambert's Locoweed and Field Locoweed.

horses

Mild Moderate Severe Critical

If your animal ate this plant, call your veterinarian, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control on (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661. Fees may apply.

Symptoms to watch for

Incoordination Depression Loss Of Appetite Cardiac Failure Liver Failure

The color of each symptom follows the severity scale above.

About

Oxytropis is a genus of plants in the legume family. It includes over 600 species native to subarctic to temperate regions of North America and Eurasia. It is one of three genera of plants known as locoweeds, and are notorious for being toxic to grazing animals. The other locoweed genera are the closely related Astragalus, and the Australian Swainsona. Most oxtropis species are native to Eurasia and North America, but several species are native to the Arctic. These are hairy perennial plants which produce raceme inflorescences of pink, purple, white, or yellow flowers which are generally pea-like but have distinctive sharply beaked keels. The stems are leafless, the leaves being all basal. The plant produces legume pods containing the seeds.

Common Names

  • Locoweed
  • Lambert's Locoweed
  • Field Locoweed
  • White Point-Vetch
  • Showy Locoweed
  • Hairy Oxytrope
  • Blackish Locoweed
  • Boreal Locoweed
  • Nodding Locoweed
  • Mountain Milkvetch
  • Gray's Point-Vetch
  • Maydell's Point-Vetch
  • Variable Locoweed
  • Sticky Locoweed
  • Mountain Oxytrope
  • Arctic Locoweed
  • Nuttall's Oxytrope
  • Loco Indigo

Also recorded as Oxytropises, crazyweed, locoweeds and oxytrope.

Facts

Family
Fabaceae
Duration
Perennial
Growth habit
Forb/herb
In the wild
US, RU, FR, CA, CH, CN + more
Source
Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Elsewhere

Countries with the most wild observations, from GBIF data.