These are some of the
Astragalus species that carry high levels of selenium which have a wide enough range and large enough population to be of concern:
- A. bisulcatus
- A. pattersonii
- A. pectinatus
- A. racemosus
(James and Walsh, 1992)
These plants usually have a characteristic musky odor due to the volatile dimethyl selenium compounds that they contain, generally causing animals to avoid them. However, under certain conditions, animals will turn to them as a source of food.
Selenium toxicity causes two main syndromes:
