Western horse-nettle

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Western horse-nettle fruit

Western horse-nettle leaf

Western horse-nettle

Western horse-nettle

Western horse-nettle calyx

Western horse-nettle leaf prickles

Western horse-nettle

Western horse-nettle inflorescence

Western horse-nettle flower

Western horse-nettle

Morphology

Stem

Erect, often branched above, light gray, tiny star-shaped pubescence, sparsely prickly; prickles to 1/4 inch long, flat, yellowish.

Leaves

Alternate, egg-shaped to elliptic-lanceolate, 2.4 to 6 inches long, 2 to 4 inches wide, surfaces covered with tiny star-shaped hairs; margins irregularly wavy; stalks short, stout.

Inflorescence

Racemes or 2-3 raceme-like clusters, terminal.

Flower

Calyces 6-lobed, 1/3 to 1/2 inch long; lobes short-ovate, tips tapering to long points; corollas more or less wheel-shaped, 1 to 2 inches broad, 5-lobed, bluish-purple or rarely white; lobes ovate, spreading; samens 5, anthers erect, 1/3 to 1/2 inch long, converging but not united.

Fruit

Berries, spherical, about 1 inch in diameter, pale yellow; seeds numerous, oval, yellowish-brown.

Ecology

Habitat

Prairies, fields, open woods, roadsides, and waste areas.

Distribution

South 2/3 of the east 1/2 of Kansas.

Practical Information

Toxicity

Toxic to livestock. Known to cause "crazy cow syndrome". Symptoms include staggering, tremors, and lack of coordination. The animal will collapse when frightened and struggle to stand until it has rested for a time. The condition is not lethal but is a permanent disability. Affected animals are susceptible to drowning if frightened in water. The syndrome is not common.

Additional Notes