Showy Loco

Scientific Name: Oxytropis splendens

Category: plant

Showy Loco

Brief Description

A low-growing, mat-forming perennial with vibrant pinkish-purple pea-like flowers and silvery pinnate leaves, often found in alpine regions.

Characteristics

Distinguished by its clump-forming growth habit, silky-hairy (silvery) pinnate leaves with leaflets often arranged in whorls, and dense spikes of bright pink-purple flowers.

Habitat

Thrives in gravelly slopes, montane meadows, subalpine ridges, and open forests at high elevations.

When to Find It

Blooms typically from late June through August depending on elevation.

Conservation Status

Common in suitable habitats; G5 (Secure).

Ecological Role

Provides nectar for high-altitude pollinators like bumblebees and serves as a hardy pioneer species in rocky, nutrient-poor soils.

Easily Confused With

Often confused with Astralagus (Milkvetch) species; Oxytropis is distinguished by a sharp point on the keel petal (beaked keel), whereas Astragalus has a blunt keel.

Observation Tips

Look for these in well-drained, sunny rocky outcrops above the timberline. Avoid stepping on the mats as alpine environments are fragile.

Interesting Facts

While beautiful, many species in this genus contain swainsonine, an alkaloid that is toxic to livestock and causes a neurological condition known as locoism.