Low larkspur, which resembles spring larkspur (D. menziesii), 

 is a small, perennial, poisonous larkspur with rather large ? showy 

 flowers. It occurs on medium dry to moist sites on the plains, and 

 in the mountains at elevations of from about 3,000 to 9,000 feet, from 

 British Columbia to Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, Nevada, and 

 Oregon. This plant, which seeks the full sunlight, is one of the 

 earliest-appearing wild flowers, frequently blooming at the edge 

 of snow banks in the mountains. 



On many ranges, low larkspur is relatively abundant and during 

 the early spring forms a very conspicuous part of the vegetation. 

 As all parts of the plant are quite toxic to cattle, its extensive use 

 results in some losses of that class of livestock, especially in Montana, 

 where the species is rather plentiful. Under range conditions, ap- 

 parently it is not poisonous to sheep ; 1 in fact, the plant is usually 

 considered fairly good forage for such animals. Fortunately, cattle 

 losses are easily preventable by prohibiting entry of those animals 

 to infested ranges until low larkspur, which matures early, has dried 

 up, or until more palatable forage is available. 



Being one of the most beautiful of the American larkspurs, 2 this 

 species is frequently cultivated as an ornamental. The flowers are 

 dark blue or purplish, although the two, small, upper petals are 

 white or pale yellow streaked with blue, hence the specific name 

 bicolor, two-colored. Early settlers in the West commonly used 

 the seeds of this larkspur as poison baits in exterminating lice and 

 other vermin. 



1 Marsh, C. D., Clawson, A. B., and Marsh H. LARKSPUR POISONING OF LIVE STOCK. 

 U. S. Dept. Agr. Bull. 365, 91 pp., illus. 1916. 



2 Marsh, C. D., Clawson, A. B., and Marsh, H. LARKSPUR OR "POISON WBBD." U. S. 



Dept. Agr. Farmers' Bull. 988, rev., 13 pp., illus. 1934. Supersedes Bull. 531. 



