Tribulus terrestris
Also known as devil's thorn, goathead, goat's head, goat head, puncturevine, tackweed, Mexican sandbur, Texas sandbur
species of plant
AI overview
Tribulus terrestris is a plant species found in warm regions around the world, known by common names like puncturevine because of its spiky fruits. It has been used in traditional medicine and is sometimes marketed as a dietary supplement, though scientific evidence for its health benefits remains limited.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Species
Least Concernpuncture vine
Tribulus terrestris
SPECIES
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderZygophyllales
- FamilyZygophyllaceae
Native toAfghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Altay, Angola, Assam, Austria, Baleares, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Bulgaria
Observations22,757
Height: 15-30 cm.
via GBIF · IUCN · Kew POWO
Wikidata facts
- Image
- COI00105868 - Tribulus orientalis - Woloszczak, Eustach - s.n..jpg
Sources (8)
~11 min read
Article
Tribulus terrestris is an annual plant in the caltrop family (Zygophyllaceae) widely distributed around the world. It is adapted to thrive in dry climate locations in which few other plants can survive, and is a highly invasive species.
Native to warm temperate and tropical regions in southern Eurasia and Africa, it has been unintentionally introduced to North America and Australia. T. terrestris is widely known as a noxious weed because of its small woody fruit – the bur – having long sharp and strong spines which easily penetrate surfaces, such as bare feet or thin shoes of crop workers and other pedestrians, the rubber of bicycle tires, and the mouths and skin of grazing animals.