Wayne's Word Index Noteworthy Plants Trivia Lemnaceae Biology 101 Botany Search A Locoweed & A Dead Steer Left (A): The notoriously poisonous locoweed Astragalus oxyphysus native to Kern County. Right (B): Astragalus pomonensis, a common locoweed with large, inflated seed pods native to coastal and interior valleys of southern California. When dry, the seeds rattle inside the papery pods; hence, the common name of rattleweed. Dead steer in a pasture with several individuals of the toxic locoweed Astragalus oxyphysus in the foreground (white arrow). This notoriously poisonous locoweed covered many acres of nearby land (on the other side of the hill) where this unfortunate steer had been grazing. Contrary to the observations of several students, the steer in photo was NOT sleeping. My untested hypothesis is that the steer consumed quantities of the locoweed. I attempted to get closer until a Kern County Sheriff stopped and asked what I was doing. Return To The Wayne's Word Alkaloid Article Return To The WAYNE'S WORD Home Page Go To The NOTEWORTHY PLANTS Menu All text material & images on these pages copyright © W.P. Armstrong