Selected Plants of Navajo Rangelands

Diné bikéyah Chi’l nooséłígíí Bąąhą́ą́nosin
Take care of our Navajo Rangelands

Loco, wooly
Ch’ilaghání
(a.k.a. Patterson loco)

Wooly foliage, which has a greenish-silver coloration
Russ Kleinman

Wooly loco is very silvery in appearance and has relatively large clusters of purple flowers. It is found at lower to middle elevations in fields and dry areas in canyons. It flowers early in the spring and can be found mixed in with ashen milkvetch (Astragalus tephrodes) and rattleweed loco (Astragalus allochrous) in disturbed areas.

*Description courtesy of Western New Mexico University's Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness.

Like some locoweeds, it is poisonous/toxic to livestock. Not all locoweeds are poisonous/toxic.

Locoweed species on the Navajo Nation may include:

  • Astragalus amphioxys
  • Astragalus beathii (Group 4 Navajo Endangered Species List),
  • Astragalus ceramicus E. Sheldon var ceramicus
  • Astragalus cronquistii (Group 3 Navajo Endangered Species List),
    • Astragalus cutleri (Group 2 Navajo Endangered Species List),
  • Astragalus heilii (Group 4 Navajo Endangered Species List)
  • Astragalus humillimus(Group 2 Navajo Endangered Species List)
  • Astragalus humistratus
  • Astragalus lonchocarpus
  • Astragalus lentiginosus Douglas ex Hooker var australis Barnely
  • Astragalus missouriensis
  • Astragalus mollisium
    • Astragalus naturitensis (Group 3 Navajo Endangered Species List)
  • Astragalus nuttallianus
  • Astragalus praelongus Sheldon var ellisiae
  • Oxytropis lambertii

Characteristic pea-like flower, pink with a protruding white lip and fuzz on the sepals at the base of the flower
Russ Kleinman
Growth habit showing a central basal rosette and inflorescences that have fallen outward due to the weight of the flowers
Russ Kleinman
Scientific Name
Astragalus mollissimus
Plant Type
Forb
Growing Season
Warm Season
Habitats
  • Brushlands
  • Grasslands
Flower Colors
  • Blue / Purple
  • Red/Pink
⚠
Poisonous
For definitions, see the glossary.

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