LOCO WEEDS AND OTHER POISONOUS PLANTS 



are trifoliate. The alkaloid in the plant is cytisin CuHu^O which occurs 

 also in other species of Cytisus and in some other leguminous plants. 

 Spartein (C 15 H 2 6N2), as a volatile alkaloid, if administered to rabbits in 

 single doses, is sufficient to produce death. The symptoms of poisoning 

 are those of narcotics resembling coniin, which causes paralysis of the 

 central nervous system. 



Burma Bean (Java Bean, Paigya, (Phaseolus lunatus}. As some 

 cargoes of Bui ma beans were found 

 to be of a poisonous character, the 

 Burma Department of Agriculture 

 was urged to encourage the cultiva- 

 tion of beans containing less cyanide 

 than Phaseolus lunatus. As the result 

 of experiments reviewed in Bulletin 

 79 of the Agricultural Research 

 Institute, Pusa, it has been found 

 that the Madagascar beans are not 

 suitable for replacing the Pe-gya and 

 Pe-byangale beans so largely grown 

 in Burma, and moreover after two 

 years cultivation their prussic acid 

 content increased. From tests made 

 with common cultures of the Paigya 

 bean, it is concluded that those with 

 a low hydrogen cyanide content give 

 low figures when grown in different 

 localities, but the content varies con- 

 siderably with different soil and cli- 

 matic conditions. The Prussic acid 



is developed from a cyanogenetic glucoside, phaseolunatin 

 The colored forms of beans yield the largest amount of hydrocyanic acid. 



Lupines (Lupinus spp.). The lupines have been known from the 

 earliest times and their value as a fodder crop was recognized. Bread 

 was also made out of lupine meal by the ancient Egyptians. Pliny men- 

 tions the use of lupine seeds in medicine. Poisoning by lupines were 

 noted as early as 1860, but in 1872, following heavy losses of sheep in 

 northern Germany, considerable attention was given to the poisonous 

 properties of lupine hay. In this country from 1899 on, the experimental 



FIG. 28. Lupine (Lupinus leucophyl- 

 lus) . One-half natural size. (After Hall, 

 Harvey M. and Gates, Harry S.: Stock 

 Poisoning Plants of California. Bull. 249, 

 University of California Agricultural 

 Experiment Station, 1915, p. 237. 



