|
|
Order Fabales, Family Fabaceae, Genus Oxytropis
This is one of the most flamboyant members of the pea family! While it can be toxic to livestock, I am unaware of any problems with it up here. Well-fed animals usually have no interest in it. Nonetheless, we remove it from our meadows. From Wikipedia:"Toxic. The Oxytropis lambertii plant is one of the locoweeds most frequently implicated in livestock poisoning. The toxin is called swainsonine. Research suggests that the plant itself may not be toxic, but becomes toxic when inhabited by endophytic fungi of the genus Embellisia, which produce swainsonine. "
