A Dangerous Weed

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 60, 27 October 1888, Page 3

A Dangerous Weed

Some few years ago a gentlemen living at Kopua imported a case of plants from India. The pots were packed in dry weeds, which were thrown out In the process of time the seeds of it grew, and have spread so rapidly that the Indian weed as it is called, has now reached along the railway line nearly to Ormondville, and also down towards Takapau in the opposite direction. It resembles lucerne in appearance. The pigs, sheep, and cattle will, eat it and become intoxicated from its effects ; they will then tumble and roll about in a strange fashion, but they do not die from it. The butter made from the cream of cows that have eaten of it has a peculiar sourish, bitter flavour that does not improve its saleability. Pigs that eat it get tipsy and fat, and it has the effect of causing scabs to break out all over them, which are very difficult to heal. Working bullocks under its influence will not pay attention to the whip, and remain for a considerable time in a semi&omnolent condition, but after that is over they seem to be as well as ever. The Indian hawkers who have seen it grown know the plant well, and say that it is very poisonous ; nevertheless they collect it as a medicine, and say that it ie a cure or preventative of hydrophobia and other diseases. We have a sample of it left at our office, and should be glad to kn.ow its botanical name if any of our readers would kindly enlighten us on the subject. It may possibly be worth reporting on, for the plants seen to grow as rank and rapidly as sorrel, and the roots are even more numerous. — Napier News.