The stamens of V.alternifolia look very similar and the leaves of V.encelioides are a little more asymmetrical at the base but otherwise a good match to my plant. Could it be a cross between these two? The seeds, however, are unlike any I've seen; they rather resemble small cloves in shape and size. Most of the seeds of all the various genera I have looked up seem flattened.

Since you have seeds for comparison, give this link a look. These are seeds of plants in Asteraceae.

https://www.google.com/search?...

The seeds pictured in the 9th row down 7th across look a lot like mine. Next most similar are the Chicory seeds!

Can you go to the page 9 down and 7 across? I am looking at a smaller screen, so I have it set to zoom...(eyes need the help) and I am not sure which image you are comparing it to.

It is a photo of a solid mass of seeds that are rather clove-like in shape. It will appear to you as darker than most of the other images.

Have you checked out this site, which lists toxic plants of Texas? You can filter by flower family, flower colour etc. I went through the yellow-flowered Asteraceae and didn't see a match but a second opinion can't hurt:

http://essmextension.tamu.edu/...

I also went through my veterinary manual's toxic plants listing and didn't notice anything like this there either. Senecio is the first thing that comes to my mind with equine liver problems but I don't see a match there.

If it's not in any of the above then either it's not known to be toxic or isn't toxic, so have you eliminated other possibilities like hay, grain, water trough etc.?

Thanks, Sue, I have looked at those sites too - plus the Merck Vet manual etc. We do not have ragwort in any of the pastures. I have combed their pasture, sent feed off for analysis (negative), examined and cleaned the water trough (which had healthy fish swimming in it). This mystery plant is the only weed that the horses definitely ate that I could not identify and clear. However since it isn't on anybody's toxic list, I think it too is and unlikely culprit. I'd still kind of like to know who it is; it is my favorite weed...

That seems to be Prenanthes aspera There is a species of Prenanthes, P carrii that grows only in Texas according to eflora
Carr's rattlesnake root. I am pretty sure that is not your plant.

https://www.wildflower.org/gal...



http://www.efloras.org/florata...

Ninth row 7th across will be different depending on each person's screen setting. (I only have 6 across visible.) If you click on the image in question, which plant do the seeds belong to?

Right, Greene, the image does not keep its same locale even on my screen. When I click on it it just says "Asteraceae seeds" and leads to a page on which the chicory seeds are the most similar.

Would you care to share the link so others can see what you are seeing?

Moonhowl said:Since you have seeds for comparison, give this link a look. These are seeds of plants in Asteraceae.

https://www.google.com/search?...

This is the link I was looking at.

JRsbugs said:There's two ways to find plants in Texas and more closely in your area.

Under dynamic tools select dynamic key, then select the family Asteraceae. Then click on the map where you are located, just above #69 south west of Houston. You will get a list of plants in the family for your area by clicking on 'build checklist'.

http://www.sernecportal.org/po...

The other way is to select Texas under State Floras, then go to the family but you get a lot more that way.

http://www.sernecportal.org/po...

Using this link, I have learned an awful lot about local plants - including the fact that apparently closely related species may not look much alike! However I have not found a likely candidate. I think it must be a hybrid of some sort.

Your plant must be somewhere on some database. In my mind (which could very easily be wrong) it seems your plant must have a name, if it was a hybrid or cross breed, I would think that it would reproduce variable plants. It seems like all of your plants are consistently the same with the same leaf, flower, etc.

On another note, the fact that you said your plant has a sweet scent keeps coming up in my mind. What could it be? Inquiring mind wants to know.

We all keep learning from Janet; she's awesome.

Me again.

porkpal said:

Using this link, I have learned an awful lot about local plants - including the fact that apparently closely related species may not look much alike! However I have not found a likely candidate. I think it must be a hybrid of some sort.

I have found this to be the case too, many times. When dealing with wildflowers especially, they can vary a lot.

In my own yard I see variations in leaf shape, flower color, height, etc. and I know the parent plants are the same. Growing conditions/soil difference/micro-climate must have an effect on these things. Perhaps trying to compare the 'mystery plant' to photos found on the internet is not the best way to find the answer?

That was my thought also Greene and the reason I suggested the two County agent listings in Porkpal's area. They may have a better shot at knowing what the plant is.

I was also thinking of the 'keys' that the more botanically-minded people know how to use to find the small details. So many images on the internet are just plain wrong; better to use the botanical descriptions. ( Not that I have a clue how to do this myself, but I am always amazed at the details that folks look at to differentiate between two plants that look similar.)

I agree...it certainly takes a more trained and refined eye than mine to see and understand the fine points.