Colorado Plants Injurious to Livestock 
35 
plant is more or less hair}^ and sticky. The large leaves are cut into a 
number of segments. The flowers have the characteristic ‘Tood”; this 
feature has suggested the name '‘monkshood.” The flowers vary from 
blue to white. The fruit (hg. 26) is similar to that of larkspur. The 
species is prevalent in our mountains between the altitudes of 7,000 and 
10,000 feet. Its preferred habitat is moist meadows and open woods. 
At 9,000 to 10,000 feet it is usually found growing among low shrub¬ 
bery. 
Poisoning by aconite .—There is some confusion in differentiat¬ 
ing aconite from its near relative larkspur. In one locality on the 
"western slope” the tall larkspur has for years been called aconite. 
Aconite is a very poisonous plant but because of its limited distribu¬ 
tion, and its widely scattered habit of growth, it is not much eaten. 
Animals have been seen to reject the plant even after taking it in the 
mouth, because of its peculiar local effect. The general effect of aco¬ 
nite is much the same as larkspur. There is great muscular weak¬ 
ness, shallow, irregular and labored breathing, a small and weak 
pulse, bloating, belching, drooling frothy saliva, and often a peculiar 
clicking sound caused from the constant attempt at swallowing. The 
pupils of the eye may be either contracted or dilated, but as the end 
approaches, remain dilated. 
Treatment .—This consists essentially in overcoming the depres¬ 
sion of the heart. Inhalations of ammonia, camphor, sulphuric ether, 
and hypodermic injections of digatalin or atropine. The formula rec¬ 
ommended for hypodermic use in case of larkspur poisoning is quite 
appropriate in this case. 
WILD CHERRY (Prunns) 
The three common species of cherry in Colorado are the choke- 
cherry {Primus melanocarpa), wild red cherry {Primus pennsylva- 
nica), and sand cherry (Primus besseyi). 
Chokecherry (Prunns inelanocarpa) (hg. 42). This is a tall 
shrub or small tree, sometimes attaining a height of 15 to 20 feet. 
The leaves are rounded or slightly heart-shaped at the base and 
pointed at the tip; the margin is marked by hne teeth. The flowers, 
of the true cherry type, are in long, unbranched clusters (see fig. 
42), and in this respect chokecherry is distinguished from the wild 
red cherry and sand cherry; the two latter have the flowers in short 
clusters in.the leaf axils. The ripe fruit of the chokecherry is black 
and has an astringent taste. 
Chokecherry is found on plains and foothills throughout Colo¬ 
rado. It is quite a characteristic gulch plant. 
Wild Red Cherry (Primus pennsylvanica) (fig. 43). This is a 
small tree, in our region, seldom reaching a height of over 30 feet, 
usually much smaller, and even in some instances almost shrub-like. 
The leaves are 3 to 4 inches long and to i inch wide, rounded at 
the base and pointed at the tip: the margin is finely toothed. The 
flowers occur in the leaf axils, 4 or 5 in a group, all the flower-stalks 
