Xanthium spinosum L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 987 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central & E. Canada to Mexico, Peru to S. South America. It is an annual and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used as a poison and a medicine and for food.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
casamarucha
[UNAL]

Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. & Hind, D. J. N. (Eds). (2019). Flora of Iraq, Volume 6: Compositae.Kew Publishing

Morphology General Habit
Much-branched, spiny, scabrid herb, with slightly ribbed and angled stems to 30 cm (–100 cm outside Iraq), usually (?always) without purple mottling on stems
Morphology Leaves
Leaves lanceolate in outline, ± 6 × 1.6 cm, decurrent, acute, with 3(–5) entire lobes, upper leaves often entire, green above, densely grey-white canescent beneath and on veins above, subsessile or shortly petiolate, c. 1 cm long, canescent, on short, lateral shoots which are subtended by 1 or 2, usually trifid yellow spines, each spine-arm c. 2.3 cm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula solitary or more usually in clusters, shortly pedunculate, male capitula c. 5 mm in diameter; phyllaries oblanceolate, c. 2 × 1 mm, hairy; receptacular scales 2.5 mm Female capitula sub-globose to ovoid, erect, 2–3 mm long; phyllaries absent; beaks 2, straight, slender, usually one much more developed than other
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets c. 3 mm, funnel-shaped, externally glandular in upper ½; anthers c. 1 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits oblong-ellipsoid, 12(–14) × 7 mm (excluding spines), spines c. 3 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed (immature) ± cylindrical, slightly flattened on inner face.
Ecology
Cultivated and diturbed land, clay and gypsum soils in field; alt.;
Phenology
flowering Oct.; May-Nov.
Distribution
Very rare in Iraq; only found once. S Europe (S France, S Austria, Hungary to S Russia), Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Turkey: also occurring perhaps in N Africa, Ethiopia, parts of India and Siberia.
Vernacular
Spiny Burweed (Engl.).
[FIQ]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Naturalizada en Colombia; Alt. 2000 - 2560 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Subarbusto
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 2000–2560 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Nariño, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Subshrub.
[UPFC]

Uses

Use Food
Used for food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0