
PEA FAMILY 45 
Witp SWEET PEA  LATHYRUS ORNATUS 
Plate 27, fig. 4 
The flowers of the Wild Sweet Pea are purple and white and blos- 
som in the spring and early summer. The stems are low, 4-12 in., 
and occur on plains and prairies at 4000-8000 ft. 
PuRPLE VETCH VICIA AMERICANA 
Fiate:2/, fiz. 5 
The Purple Vetch bears blue to purple flowers in loose clusters 
on climbing or scrambling stems 1/%-3% ft. long. They bloom in 
spring and early summer and may be found on prairies and in rich 
river valleys at 4000-10000 ft. 
Loco ARAGALUS LAMBERTI 
Plate 28, fig. 1 
The flowers of the Loco are deep red-purple or white, often turn- 
ing blue with age. They occur in open spikes on stems 4-12 in. tall 
and bloom in spring and summer. The plants occur on plains, prairies, 
hills and table-lands at 4000-9000 ft. The Loco is very poisonous to 
stock. After acquiring a taste for the plant they will eat nothing else 
and die from the effects in a few months or one or two years. In 
this way, millions of dollars of stock are lost annually. A cure for 
the disease has been found recently. 
ALFALFA MEDICAGO SATIVA 
Plate 28, fig. 2 
The small blue to purple blossoms of Alfalfa grow in loose, small 
heads on branching plants that attain a height of 1-2 ft. They bloom 
all summer long. The plant has escaped from cultivation and grows 
thriftily at 5000-6000 ft. Alfalfa forms a most nourishing fodder for 
horses and cattle and has been cultivated for ages in Southern 
Europe. When sown in deep, rich soils, few plants yield so heavy 
