Woolly Locoweed Wildflower Blossoms

Woolly locoweed Astragalus mollissimus Torr.
Woolly lococweed is a perennial herb which grows in grassland, desert shrub and Pinyon-Juniper areas of New Mexico. It is often one of the very first plants to bloom in the early spring, this photo was taken in early March. Woolly loco gets its name from the many soft hairs that cover its leaves and stems.
The woolly locoweed is toxic to livestock (the name "loco" is derived from the Spanish word for crazy and is used to describe the particular intoxication and the group of plants causing the condition), being the most widespread poisonous plant problem in the western US and often the cause of serious livestock losses. These are plants contain the alkaloid locoine, the eating of which by horses and cattle is believed to produce loss of flesh, disordered vision, delirium, convulsive movements, or stupor and death.

Read less