5 
trouble in question." Omitting the account from Wheeler’s 
report, he says : ‘‘ Several analyses have been made of the 
plants which are said to be the cause of this affection, without 
satisfactorily ascertaining what is the peculiar poisonous prin¬ 
ciple. No antidote has been discovered. If the plants can be 
ascertained and exterminated, the trouble should come to an 
end; but, even if the plants are recognized, their extermina¬ 
tion over large tracts of country will be difficult and expen¬ 
sive." From the same source we give the botanical descrip¬ 
tion and cuts of the plants, Astragahcs Mollissinius- —^loco weed: 
‘‘A perennial herbaceous plant of the region of the great 
plains from Colorado to New Mexico, Texas and Arkansas. 
It belongs to the order Leguminosce, or pea family. There are 
usually a great many stalks proceeding from a large root 
stock. They are reclining towards the base and erect above. 
These stalks are so short that the leaves and flower stalks 
seem to proceed directly from the root. They are branching 
at the base and give rise to numerous leaves and long stems 
bearing the flowers and pods. The leaves are usually 
from 6 to lo inches long, composed of 9 to 15 leaflets (in pairs 
excepttheupper one). These leaflets are of oval form, >4 to ^ 
of an inch long, of a shining, silvery hue, from being clothed 
with soft, silky hairs. The flower stalks are about as long 
or sometimes longer than the leaves, naked below, and at the 
upper part (X to bearing a rather thick spike of flowers, 
which are nearly i inch long, narrow, and somewhat cylind¬ 
rical, the corolla of a velvety or purple color, the calyx half 
as long as the corolla and softly pubescent. The flower has the 
general structure of the pea family and is succeeded by short, 
oblong, thickish pods, to ^ inch long, very smooth and 
with about two seeds in each. Oxytfopis Lamberti —^loco weed: 
A plant belonging to the same family as the Astragalus 
Mollissimtis . It is about the same height, and like it grows in 
strongly-rooted clumps; but it differs in having an erect 
habit, with shorter leaves and longer and stiffly erect flower 
stalks. The leaflets are longer and narrower, about i inch 
long by X to ^ inch wide, and hairy, especially on the upper 
surface. The flower stalks proceed from the root stock, are 
usually 9 to 12 inches long, and naked except near the top, 
which has a rather close and thick cluster of flowers, much 
like those of the Astragalus in general appearance, but differ¬ 
ing in some minute characters which separate it into another 
genus, and are succeeded by erect, lance, oblong, pointed 
pods, of about i inch long. This plant is very abundant on 
the high plains and in the mountains ranging from British 
America to Mexico. The flowers are subject to much varia- 
