Crazyweeds

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Toxic legume plants of western North America, such as locoweed, that cause erratic behavior when grazed by livestock
2. Poisonous wild herbs of the American West whose consumption by cattle and horses leads to staggering and strange conduct
3. Western American plants in the pea family that contain toxins affecting the nervous systems of animals that eat them

Etymology: "Crazyweeds" is the plural of "crazyweed," a name for several North American plants (chiefly locoweeds in the genus Astragalus and related species) that cause erratic, staggering behavior in livestock when eaten. The word is formed simply from "crazy" and "weed," describing a plant whose effect on grazing animals looked like madness.