Creamy poison-vetch

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Creamy poison-vetch

Creamy poison-vetch

Creamy poison-vetch leaves

Creamy poison-vetch flowers

Creamy poison-vetch

Creamy poison-vetch

Morphology

Stem

Erect to ascending, few or many in clumps, usually branched above, thinly to densely pubescent, somewhat zigzag.

Leaves

Alternate, short stalked to sessile, odd-pinnately compound, 1.5 to 6 inches long, .5 to 1 inch wide; leaflets 11-31, lance-elliptic to linear-lanceolate, .5 to 1.5 inch long, thinly to densely pubescent.

Inflorescence

Racemes, elongate, on stalks 1 to 4 inches long, 15-70-flowered.

Flower

Drooping; calyces bell-shaped; corollas papilionaceous, white, pale purple or whitish with purplish keel tips; stamens 10, 9 united, 1 free.

Fruit

Pods, 3-sided, linear-oblong, .5 to 1.5 inches long, pointed at each end, drooping; seeds smooth, dark brown with purple spots.

Ecology

Habitat

Prairies, hillsides, stream valleys, open wooded areas, and roadsides, in clay, shale, gypsum, or chalk soils.

Distribution

West half of Kansas.

Practical Information

Toxicity

Plants accumulate selenium from the soil. Livestock rarely will consume it but can be poisoned if they do. Selenium poisoning is known as "blind staggers". Symptoms include: rough hair coat; weight loss; vision impairment; chewing of fence posts, wire, or other metallic objects; aimless wandering; and pushing forward against solid objects like buildings or fences.