Purple locoweed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Purple locoweed |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Oxytropis
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| Species: |
lambertii
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Oxytropis lambertii is a type of flowering plant. It belongs to the legume family, which includes plants like peas and beans. People often call it purple locoweed, woolly locoweed, or Lambert crazyweed.
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Where Purple Locoweed Grows
This plant naturally grows in wide, open grasslands. You can find it in the central parts of Canada, especially in the Canadian Prairies. It also grows across the mid-western United States and in the area known as the Great Plains.
What Purple Locoweed Looks Like
Oxytropis lambertii is a plant that lives for many years. It grows a cluster of leaves right from the base, near the ground. From this cluster, several tall, colorful flower stalks grow upwards.
Leaves and Flowers
Each leaf is made up of many smaller, silvery-green leaflets. The flower stalk holds several flowers. Each flower sits in a tube-shaped cup, which can be purple or pink. This cup is covered with fine silver hairs. The flowers look a bit like peas. They are usually reddish or bluish-purple. They often have a lighter spot at the bottom of their largest petal. After the flower, a round, tube-shaped seed pod grows. This pod is a type of legume.
Why Purple Locoweed Can Be Harmful
Oxytropis lambertii is one of the plants known as "locoweeds." These plants can make farm animals sick if they eat too much of them. The substance that causes problems is called swainsonine.
The Role of Fungus
Scientists believe that the plant itself might not be harmful on its own. Instead, it becomes harmful when a tiny fungus lives inside it. This fungus belongs to the group Embellisia. It is this fungus that produces the swainsonine, making the plant unsafe for animals like cows or horses to eat.
