Colorado Plants Injurious to Livestock 
45 
Fig. 61.—The shaded portion shows the geographical range of woolly loco in Colorado. 
and stems bearing flowers. The entire plant is very densely hairy, 
the hairs being long, silky and somewhat matted together. There are 
numerous leaflets, which usually measure from one-half to five-eighths 
of an inch long. The violet colored flowers are crowded; they are 
longer then broad. The mature pod is smooth, leathery, curved, and 
from one-half to three-fourths of an inch long. 
The woolly loco prefers dry soil. It is found only at lower alti¬ 
tudes in the eastern half of Colorado. It is a Great Plains plant 
(fig. 6i). It blooms in late May and early June. 
Symptoms resulting from eating locos .—The symptoms are so 
well known to stockmen that a lengthy discussion of them at this 
time would be superfluous. The condition may be summarized as a 
cerebral disturbance with impairment of the special senses and in¬ 
coordination of muscular movements. Horses, cattle and sheep are 
affected. The claim is made in Montana that cattle are the least 
susceptible. The loco weed habit is acquired by imitation and en¬ 
couraged bv scarcity of forage grasses. Stock are not liable to eat 
poisonous plants when good food is available. H stock can be kept from 
