Origin:
Introduced
Life Cycle:
Annual
General Desc:
Prostrate plant trails up to 2-1/2 feet long, branched from the base and hairy. Spines of fruit are sharp enough to puncture bicycle tires and are painful to bare feet. Can also become embedded in fur and fabric. Identification notes: Mat-forming annual with diffused, branching stems; leaves opposite, with 3 to 9 pairs of elliptic or oblong leaflets; flowers solitary in axils of leaves, flowers of 5 sepals and 5 pale yellow petals; flowers produce spiny nutlets.
Height:
2 inches Habitat
Habitat Description: Cultivated areas, along roads, disturbed sites. Plant Communities:
Disturbed Areas Elevation: Below 7000 feet Flower Characteristics
Color:
Yellow
Shape:
Regular not in clusters
Tubular:
N
Flowering Period:
Mar - Oct Description:
Solitary flowers in axils of smaller or abortive leaves, stems shorter than the subtending leaf; 5 sepals and 5 pale yellow petals .
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaf Color:
Dark green
Leaf Type:
Compound
Leaf Shape:
Round or oval
Leaf Margin:
Toothed
Leaf Attachment:
Opposite
Leaves Clasp:
N Hairs:
Leaves and stems
Spines:
N
Leaf Description:
Leaf is pinnately compound to 2 inches long with leaflets to 1/2 inch long, lowest pair of leaflets unequal in size. Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Fruit Color: Brownish-gray Fruit Type: Capsule Fruit Notes: Capsules break into 5 spiny nutlets, each with 2 larger spines; after separation the vicious tacklike nutlets land with larger spines upward. Two-spined segment resembles a goat's head with horns. Seed Notes: Nutlets or "seeds" are hard and have a pair of 1/4 inch long sharp spines.
Arizona Cooperative Extension
Yavapai County
840 Rodeo Dr #C
Prescott, AZ 86305
(928) 445-6590