PLANTS POISONOUS TO STOCK. 



229 



URTICACE^ (nettle FAMILY). 



* Urtica gracilis. — The slender nettle covers thousands of acres of 

 reclaimed swamp land in ^lichigan and Wisconsin, which is made nearly 

 worthless hy its dense growth, horses refusing to pass through it to culti- 

 vate the soil. 



CHENOPODIACE^ (GOOSEFOOT FAMILY). 



Sarcobatus vermiculatus. — Black greasewood, or chico, is a scraggy 

 shrub which grows in strongly 

 alkaline soil in the south-western 

 and western portions of the United 

 States. A correspondent in New 

 Mexico states that on one occasion 

 he counted as many as 1,000 sheep 

 that had been killed by eating the 

 leaves of this plant. It is claimed 

 that cows are not affected by eating 

 it at any time, and that sheep can 

 eat it quite freely in winter. Death 

 is perhaps due more to tympanites 

 rather than to any poisonous sub- 

 stance which the plant contains. 



phytolaccace.e (pokeweed family). 



* Phytolacca decandra. — The 

 leaves of the common pokeweed 

 (poke; garget; American night- 

 shade) of the eastern half of the 

 United States is occasionally eaten 

 by cattle with fatal results. 



ALSINACE^ (pink FAMILY). 



* Agrostemma githagO. — The ^^^- 77.— Slender nettle ( Urtica gracilis). 

 common corn cockle (cockle; mul- 

 lein pink) is a weed common to both the United States and Europe. 

 Poultry and household animals are occasionally poisoned by eating the 

 seeds or the bread made from wheat contaminated with the seeds. 



MAGNOLIACEiE (MAGNOLIA FAMILY). 



lUicium floridanum. — The leaves of this species of anisetree are 

 supposed to be poisonous to stock. 



