Low larkspur (Delphinium bicolor)
May 22, 2008 — Brian ErtzIt’s the season. Low larkspur in Artemisia rigida sites.
Photograph © Katie Fite 2008
Elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, upland game birds, small nongame birds, and small mammals all eat Low larkspur. However, for reasons not entirely known, its alkaloid methyllycaconitine can cause motor paralysis in cattle (and humans) - leading to death from asphyxiation. Much effort has been spent trying to breed the vulnerability out of cattle - or at least get them to stop eating it. (Sourced Info via Idaho Native Plant Society)
Visit AGRO’s ‘Cattle Losses’ page to learn the proportion of cattle killed by predators versus the number killed by respiratory, digestive, poison, and other problems.
Photograph © Katie Fite 2008
Photograph © Katie Fite 2008
Photograph © Katie Fite 2008
