_: 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
DEPARTMENT BULLETIN No. 1245 
Washington, D. C. 
December 22, 1924 
STOCK-POISONING PLANTS OF THE RANGE. 1 
By C. D. Marsh. Physiologist. i)t Charge of Investigations of Stock Poisoning 
by Plants, Pathological Division, Bureau of Animal Industry. 
CONTEXTS. 
Tage. 
Prefatory note 1 
[ntroduction - 
The lily family ( Liliaceae I 4 
Death camas (species of Zyga- 
denus) 4 
The beech family (Fagaeeae) 6 
Oak (species of Quercus) 6 
The goosefoot family i Chenopodi- 
cese) 7 
Greasewood (Sarcobatus vermi- 
cuiatiis) 7 
The crowfoot family (Ranunculacese) _ 7 
Larkspurs (species of Del- 
phinium) 7 
The rose family (Rosacea?) 13 
Wild cherry (species of Prunus)_ 13 
The pulse family (Leguminosse) 13 
Lupines (species of Lupinus) 13 
Indian turnip [Psoralen tenui- 
folia) 15 
Coffee bean (Daubentonia longi- 
folia) 15 
Loco plants ( species of Oxytro* 
pi> and Astragalus) 16 
Tage. 
The buckthorn family (Rhamna- 
ceae) 21 
Coyotillo (Karicinskia humbold- 
tiana) 21 
The parsley family (Umbellifene) __ 22 
Water hemlock (species of Ci- 
cuta) , 22 
The heath family (Ericaceae) 23 
Laurels 23 
The milkweed family ( Asclepiadaeea? ) - 2.i 
Milkweeds (species of Asclepias i _ 2." 
The composite family (Compositse)_ 27 
Cocklebur, clotbur (species of 
Xanthium) 27 
Western sneezeweed (Helenium 
hoopc-sii) 28 
Baccliaris pteronioides 29 
Woody aster < X y 1 o r r h i is a 
parreyi) 30 
Colorado rubber plant, or pingue 
(Hymenoii/s floi ibunrfa ) 30 
Ravless goldenrod (/ .>• o c o m a 
irrir/htii) 31 
Fern 31 
Prevention of losses 32 
PREFATORY NOTE. 
It is \vell known that poisonous plants cause heavy losses of range animals. 
Statistics in regard to these losses are not available, but from estimates made 
in many localities it seems probable that the average loss must be as great as 
3 to 5 per cent, while in some range States it rises to much higher figures. For 
example, it has been estimated that in Colorado the losses amount to a million 
dollars annually, while sheep growers in Wyoming have estimated their annual 
loss as 14.6 per cent. These losses, too, are to a large extent of mature animals, 
those that are ready or nearly ready for the market, for the rearing of which 
large stuns have already been spent. 
The importance of these severe losses has been recognized by the United 
States Department of Agriculture, and extended investigations and experiments 
have been undertaken to determine what plants were poisonous and under what 
1 This bulletin is 
23, 1918. 
8 29g3° — 24- 
a revision of and supersedes Department Bulletin 575, issued July 
