FALSE LOCOWEED 



Oxytropis gracilis (Nelson) Jones 



This plant must not be confused with its relative, the true loco- 

 weed, that is so destructive to animals on the plains of the southwest- 

 ern United States; it seemed entirely harmless to our horses, who ate it 

 freely. In full sunshine its pale yellow or straw-colored flowers, borne 

 on stems six or eight inches tall, are wonderfully attractive against 

 their setting of sage-colored foliage. In limestone regions, where 

 moisture is limited, the blossoms develop well only if an abundance of 

 water is available at flowering time. 



False locoweed is a member of the Pea Family. It ranges from 

 Idaho to South Dakota and northward into Alberta, Canada. 



The specimen sketched was obtained near Ghost River on the 

 eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, twenty-five miles from Banff, 

 Alberta, at an altitude of 3,500 feet. 



PLATE 3 



