Five Poisonous Range Weeds- When and Why They Are Dangerous
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
fractions, according to species Five Poisonous Range Weeds- . and season. When possible, the same species was sampled at dif- When and Why They Are Dangerous ferent elevations on the same date. The individual plant parts M. COBURN WILLIAMS AND EUGENE H. CRONIN were dried for 24 hr at 60 C, Plant Physiologists, Crops Research Division, Agricul- ground to a 40-mesh powder, and tural Research Service, U.S.D.A., in cooperation with the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Logan. stored in air-tight polyethylene containers. Highlight poisons has been reported by Larkspurs and falsehellebore Three larkspurs, halogefon, and Dye (1956)) Williams (1960)) were analyzed for total alkaloids western falsehellebore were exam- Cook and Stoddart (1953)) and as previously described for tall ined for seasonal variation of their contained poisons. With the excep- Morton et al. (1959)) on haloge- larkspur (Williams and Cronin, tion of low larkspur, greatest con- ton; Beath (1919, 1925)) and 1963). Soluble and total oxalates centrations of fhe poisons were Williams and Cronin (1963)) on in halogeton were determined found in the leaves. Alkaloid concen- tration in tall larkspurs decreased larkspurs; and Keeler and Binns by the method of Dye (1956). with plant maturity. Cattle losses (1964)) on falsehellebore. Our The above plants have, for a mav be reduced if fall larkspurs are continuing research was con- number of seasons, been analyzed avoided during early vegetative qrowfh. The alkaloid content of tall ducted with five poisonous spe- for changes in the concentration larkspurs was increased by freaf- cies common in the Intermoun- of their contained poison follow- menf with 2,4,5-T and silvex. Only ing applications of experimental 2,4,5-T increased alkaloid content of tain West: duncecap larkspur, western falsehellebore. (Delphinium occidentale S. herbicides. Samples were taken Wats.; tall larkspur, D. barbeyi 1,2, and 3 weeks after treatment, Poisonous plants have always (Huth) Huth; low larkspur, D. and processed and analyzed as constituted an indigenous com- nekonii Greene; halogeton, Halo- described. ponent of the flora of the West- geton glomeratus (M. Bieb.) C. A. Results and Discussion ern range. Halogeton (Halogeton Mey.; and western falsehellebore glomeratus (M. Bieb.) C. A. Veratrum californicum Durand. Tall and Duncecap Larkspur.- Mey.) is the only one of our most With the exception of duncecap More cattle are killed in the troublesome poisonous weeds larkspur, the common names West by tall larkspurs than any which has been introduced. used are those approved by the other poisonous weed. Authen- The native larkspurs (Delphin- Terminology Committee of the ticated cattle losses attributed to ium spp.) , western falsehellebore Weed Society of America (Dar- tall larkspur on one grazing (Veratrum californicum Dur- row et al., 1962). Duncecap lark- allotment in Utah have ranged and), and halogeton have become spur is designated as the com- from 2 to 12% during the last 10 management problems by (1) mon name for DeZphinium occi- years. introducing domestic animals dentale in Standardized Plant Plants begin growth in late where these weeds are prevalent; Names (Kelsey and Dayton, spring as soon as snow has mel- and (2) range misuse, particular- 1942). Unfortunately, duncecap ted. As many as 20 to 30 shoots ly overgrazing, which permits larkspur is usually called tall may arise from a single crown. weeds to increase in density and larkspur in the West and is there- In the vegetative stage, tall lark- invade new areas at the expense fore frequently confused with spurs resemble the poisonous of desirable vegetation. Delphinium barbeyi. monkshood, Aconitum colum- Apart from recognizing these bianum Nutt. Tall larkspurs, species in the field, few under- Materials and Methods however, have hollow stems and stand the complex physiological Plants were collected by loca- prefer well-drained soils, while characteristics peculiar to each, tions, as follows: low larkspur, monkshood has a solid, pithy such as the poison or poisons it duncecap larkspur, and western stem and occurs on moist sites. contains; why only certain classes falsehellebore, Wasatch Moun- Flowers of the two genera are of livestock are poisoned; the tains east of Logan, Utah; tall easily distinguished because the distribution of the poison within larkspur, Wasatch Plateau east calyx on monkshood lacks the the plant; how the poison content of Manti, Utah; halogeton, west spur characteristic of larkspurs. varies during the plant’s life of Snowville, Utah. Plants were Tall larkspurs produce flowers cycle, and the effect of climate sampled weekly in the field from from July to September. The and herbicides on the concentra- soon after emergence until ter- flowering plants average 3 to 4 tion of the poison. mination of their active growth. ft in height but may reach 6 ft or Information on the character- Plants were divided into leaf, more. Tall larkspurs grow at an istics and properties of plant stem, flower, and leaf-seed-sepal elevation of 6,000 to 11,000 ft, 274 POISONOUS RANGE WEEDS 275 Table 1. Percent fofal alkaloids in planf tissue of duncecap larkspur, wesiern falsehellebore. and low larkspur, 1965. Duncecap larkspur Western falsehellebore Low larkspur Date of 7000 ft 8000 ft 6000 ft 8000 ft 8000 ft Collection Apex Leaves Stems Apex Leaves Stems Leaves Stems Leaves Stems Leaves Stems Flowers May 28 - - - - - - 0.3 0.5 June 3 - - - - - - 0.3 0.2 June 10 4.1 3.7 2.6 - - - 0.2 0.2 June 17 2.5 2.4 1.5 - - - 0.2 0.1 - - - - - June 23 3.0 2.3 1.1 5.4 3.5 3.5 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.1 - June 29 2.6 2.1 1.0 4.6 4.5 3.4 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.2 - July 8 3.3 2.1 0.7 3.1 2.7 1.5 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.5 July 15 3.3 1.8 0.6 3.3 3.2 1.1 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.6 July 21 2.8 1.6 0.7 3.5 2.8 1.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 July 28 2.3 1.3 0.8 3.3 2.2 1.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 - 0.3** - August 5 2.0 0.9 0.8 2.6 1.6 1.1 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.2 - 0.2** - August 12 2.1 1.2 0.6 2.0 1.6 0.6 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 - 0.2** - August 19 0.9 0.6 0.4 2.3 1.4 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 - August 26 0.8 0.6 0.4 2.3 1.2 0.7 0.2” 0.2* 0.2 0.1 - September 2 0.8 0.6 0.3 2.8 1.0 0.5 - - 0.2* 0.2” - September 9 0.6 0.5 0.3 1.9 0.8 0.7 September 20 - - - 1.0” 0.3” 0.4” * Plants dead ** Whole plant samples only either on open meadows or inter- Tall larkspurs are most poison- In years when cattle losses spersed among aspen and fir. ous during early growth, espe- from tall larkspurs are unusually Tall larkspur may be distin- cially during the first few weeks heavy, ranchers frequently as- guished from duncecap larkspur following emergence (Table 1). sume that the plants are more by the tawny pubsecence of its Alkaloid content decreases rapid- toxic than usual. This assump- inflorescence and by its tendency ly until flowering, during which tion is true if losses occur follow- to produce bi-colored (light blue alkaloid levels drop more slowly. ing a winter of above normal and dark blue) petals. Tall lark- After the plants have reached snowfall or if the spring is un- spur occurs in Arizona, New full flower, alkaloids rapidly de- usually cold. The toxicity of lark- Mexico, Colorado, and Southern cline. At 7,000 ft elevation, the spur is dependent upon two con- Wyoming and Utah (south of apex consisted of leaves June 10 ditions: date of emergence, large- Provo). Duncecap larkspur grows to July 1; buds July 1 to 15; ly determined by winter snow- generally north of tall larkspur flowers July 15 to 30; and seed fall, and temperature following in Northern Utah, Idaho, Nevada, pods and seeds thereafter. Equiv- emergence. Toxicity corresponds Northern Wyoming, Montana, alent growth stages in plants col- very closely to stage of growth. Oregon, and Washington. lected at 8,000 ft occurred 2 to 3 The later the start of growth, the The toxic substances in lark- weeks later. more toxic plants will be-at any spurs are alkaloids. These com- The majority of the alkaloids particular date during the grow- pounds are complex organic are found in the green leaf. ing season. Cold weather follow- molecules which contain, in ad- Young leaves, particularly the ing emergence can further retard dition to carbon, hydrogen and apical bud, are rich in alkaloids. development. oxygen, a small amount of nitro- Stems are high in alkaloids only Duncecap larkspur (Table 1) gen. Alkaloids are widely dis- when very young and succulent; was collected at 7,000 and 8,000 tributed throughout the plant and as they become more woody, ft elevations. Plants at 7,000 ft kingdom. Many that occur in the concentration of the poison were 18 to 20 inches high before small amounts in food are harm- drops very rapidly. Before the snow had melted at 8,000 ft.