POISONOUS and INJURIOUS PLANTS 
of the U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS 
By A. J. Oakes and James O. Butcher, Virgin Islands Research and 
Extension Program’ 
In the Virgin Islands a number of livestock die every year from 
unknown causes. Many of these animals have had free access to 
pastures, and although the responsible agent is usually unknown, 
poisoning by plants is frequently suspected and must, in fact, often 
be the cause. At least 50 of the wild and cultivated plants in the 
Virgin Islands can be poisonous to livestock. Deaths from plant 
poisoning can be a heavy financial burden to livestock farmers. 
This bulletin brings together available information about livestock 
poisoning, and complements the forage plant investigations and the 
weed contro] program being conducted as a part of the Virgin Islands 
Agricultural Program. 
Livestock farming is of great importance in the Virgin Islands. 
Beef cattle make up the principal livestock enterprise, especially on 
St. Croix, which is the largest island of the group and has the most 
agriculture. Nearly half the land area of St. Croix is devoted to 
livestock and the gross value of annual production is exceeded only 
by that of sugarcane (16). In addition to beef cattle, there is an 
expanding dairy industry on the islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas. 
Sheep and goats (both for meat only) and hogs are found on St. 
Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas, but there are not enough to meet the 
current demand, so that there is a potential for further expansion. 
Donkeys, horses, and mules are less important but are kept on all the 
islands. 
Poultry farming, like dairy farming, has expanded rapidly dur- 
ing the past few years. Several small but profitable poultry farms 
have been started on St. Croix and St. Thomas. In addition to 
chickens, a few turkeys, guinea fowl, and Muscovy ducks are raised. 
Both the government of the Virgin Islands and the Federal 
Government (through the Virgin Islands Corporation and the Vir- 
gin Islands Agricultural Research and Extension Program) are en- 
couraging and aiding Virgin Islanders in their livestock enterprises. 
The Virgin Islands Corporation is raising beef cattle and riding 
horses on about 300 acres of land not suited for sugarcane. 
LOSSES FROM POISONOUS PLANTS 
_ Some of the poisonous plants in the Virgin Islands are of great 
importance because of their abundance, high toxicity, wide distribu- 
tion, and accessibility to stock; others, because they are only slightly 
* Dr. Oakes is now with the Crops Research Division and Mr. Butcher is with 
= Animal Husbandry Research Division, Agricultural Research Service, Belts- 
ille, Md. 
* Italic numbers in parentheses refer to Literature Cited, p. 91. 
