Tribulus terrestris

Tribulus terrestris is a flowering plant native to certain Old World tropical and subtropical regions in Asia, Africa, Mediterranean Europe and northern Australia. It is an invasive alien species in the new world tropics and subtropics, causing appreciable damage to citrus and pineapple crops. Herbicidal control of this weedy species is often undertaken by use of lithium salts of Bromacil.

Known by a common name of Puncture Vine, the fruit is so robustly prickly as to puncture tires of small vehicles, using its one cm long spines. Stems radiate from the crown to form a plan view extent of up to one metre in characteristic size. The individual plants are typically prostrate, forming flat patches, but they can exhibit a more vertical growth form when competing with other species for sunlight. Leaves are pinnately compound with leaflets approximately six mm in length. Flowers are four to ten mm across, having five lemon-yellow petals.

"Notes: Western Ghats, Degraded areas in Dry Deciduous Forests"

This adventive annual plant develops a mat of prostrate stems about 1-3' across; it branches frequently at the base, and occasionally elsewhere. The round stems are initially green, but quickly become brown; they are densely covered with short hairs and sparsely covered with long hairs. The compound leaves are evenly pinnate, consisting of 4-8 pairs of leaflets. Each compound leaf is about 2-4" in length, and it has a hairy central stalk. The dark green leaflets are up to ¾" long and ¼" across; they are, oblong, smooth along the margins, and sparsely to moderately hairy. There is a short petiole at the base of each leaflet. The flowers occur individually from the axils of the compound leaves on hairy pedicels about ½–¾" long. Each flower is about ½" across, consisting of 5 yellow petals, 5 triangular green sepals, 10 stamens with yellow anthers, and a pistil with a 5-lobed stigma. The petals are well-rounded and longer than the sepals.  The blooming period occurs during the summer and early fall; a colony of plants will continue to bloom for about 2-3 months. Each flower is replaced by a spiny dry fruit (schizocarp) that divides into 5 segments. This fruit is angular-globoid in shape and about 1" across; there are several stout prickles, rows of spines, bumps, and ridges across its surface. It is initially green, but later turns brown. Each segment of the fruit contains several seeds. The root system consists of a stout taproot that can extend several feet into the ground. This plant reproduces by reseeding itself and often forms colonies at favorable sites.

The large prickly fruits have a formidable appearance; they are capable of puncturing bicycle tires and can pierce the soles of some sandals and shoes, hence the common name. Puncture Vine can be distinguished from many other plants by its large prickly fruits, evenly pinnate compound leaves, and prostrate habit. Some members of the Caltrop family are native to the southern plains and desert southwest, including Kallstroemia parviflora (Small-Flowered Caltrop) and other members of this genus. Their flowers and foliage are similar to those of Puncture Vine, but their fruits lack conspicuous prickles.

It is a pubescent annual plant that reaches up to 15-30 cm long with prostrate stems. Leaves are compound with 3-5 pairs of ovate-elliptic leaflets. Flowers are with yellow petals and lanceolate sepals. The fruit is 5-8 mm diameter, pyramidal with sparsely to densely hairy mericarps which are unarmed or with 2 small basal spines.

Prostrate annual herb. All parts covered in long whitish hairs. Leaves opposite paripinnate, one leaf in a pair often longer than the other. Peduncle shorter than or as long as, the subtending leaf. Flowers solitary in leaf axils. Petals 3-8(-12) mm, light yellow. Fruit a hard triangular drupe with sharp spines.

terrestris : growing on the ground, i.e. not epiphytic or aquatic

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Global Distribution

Tropical and warm temperate regions of the world

Indian distribution

State - Kerala, District/s: Palakkad, Kottayam, Idukki, Kollam, Wayanad

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"Maharashtra: Kolhapur Karnataka: Belgaum, Chikmagalur, Hassan, Mysore, N. Kanara Kerala: Idukki, Kollam, Kottayam, Palakkad"

"Found along the roadsides, wastelands and scrub jungles from plains to 500m. Common Tropical and temperate regions of the world."

Nile region, Mediterranean region, Egyptian desert, Res Sea coastal strip, Gebel Elba and Sinai (St.Katherine)

Mediterranean region, tropical and subtropical regions.

Tribulus terrestris L.:
Canada (North America)
Chile (South America)
Ecuador (South America)
India (Asia)
Madagascar (Africa & Madagascar)
Panama (Mesoamerica)
Peru (South America)
Sri Lanka (Asia)
United States (North America)
South Africa (Africa & Madagascar)
Bolivia (South America)
China (Asia)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [almost worldwide].

Throughout the world in tropical and warn regions

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Distribution: Tropical and subtropical countries in Asia, Africa, S. Europe, North Australia and introduced in new world tropics.

Almost Pantropical.

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Flower

In axillary, solitary; yellow. Flowering from January-April.

Fruit

A 5-angled schizocarp, woody, each with a pair of unequal spines; seed solitary per coccus. Fruiting throughout the year.

Field tips

Branchlets and leaves densely white sericeous.

Leaf Arrangement

Subopposite

Leaf Type

Paripinnate

Leaf Shape

Oblong

Leaf Apex

Acute-mucronate

Leaf Base

Obtuse-cuneate

Leaf Margin

Entire

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Herbs, annual, prostrate, glabrous, pubescent, or hispid. Branches 20-60 cm. Leaves opposite, even-pinnate, 1.5-5 cm, with 6-16 leaflets; leaflet blades oblong to obliquely oblong, 5-10 × 2-5 mm, base slightly oblique, margin entire, apex acute to obtuse. Flower ca. 1 cm in diam. Pedicel shorter than leaves. Sepals persistent. Stamens inserted on base of disk, with scale-form appendages. Ovary 5-angled, 5-locular, with 3 or 4 ovules per locule; stigma 5-parted. Schizocarp 4-6 mm, hard, pubescent or glabrous, with 5 carpels with 2 hardened 4-6 mm spines at mid margin, surface spiny or prickly. Fl. May-Aug, fr. Jun-Sep. 2n = 24, 30, 36, 48.

Annual or biennial, prostrate, densely appressed whitish silky pubescent herb. Stem hirsute to sericeous, branches spreading. Leaves paripinnate, 2.5-5 cm long; stipules lanceolate to falcate, 3-5 mm long; leaflets (4-) 5-6(-8) pairs ovate to elliptic-oblong, 5-10(-12) mm long, 3-8 mm broad, inequilateral, acute. Flowers yellow, 1-1.5 cm across; pedical up to 1.5(-2) cm long. Sepals ovate-lanceolate, 5-6 mm long, c. 3 mm broad, acute. Petals obovate, 6-8 mm long, 3-4 mm broad, obtuse. Stamens 10, filaments c. 3-5 mm long, anthers versatile. Ovary ovoid, hirsute; style c. 1.5 mm long, stigmas decurrent. Fruit up to c. 1 cm in diameter, 4-8 mm long, mericarps densely crested and tuberculate on dorsal side, densely hairy to glabrescent, with 2 long patent and 2 short downwardly directed spines (rarely all or lower 2 reduced to tubercles).

150 m

Height: 15-30 cm.

"Prostrate silky herbs. Leaves opposite, imparipinnate; leaflets opposite, 4-5 pairs, 1.5 x 0.7 cm, oblong; petiole to 7 mm, petiolule 1 mm, stipules 2-3 in cluster,ff persistent. Flowers axillary, 1 or 2, golden yellow, 2 cm across; pedicels to 3 cm,; sepals 5, 5 mm, linear; petals 5, 7 x 4 mm; stamens 10, filaments dilated at base, disc 10-lobed; ovary 5-lobed, hirsute with bulbous hairs; stigmas 5. Fruit 1 cm across, globose, 5-angled, cocci 5, woody, each with a pair of divaricate spines."

"Habit: A small prostrate herb, tupo 30cm."

"Very common weed of wastelands, waysides even in poor soils. Plains from the coast 750m. Through out the tropics and warm temperate regions."

"Dry deciduous forests, wastelands and road sides in black cotton soil areas"

Desert plains, waste ground, weed of cultivation.

Sandy areas, wastelands, hillsides, residential areas; below 3300 m.

Cattle refuse to graze in areas where this plant is abundant because of the prickly fruits; sheep will eat the foliage, but it is somewhat toxic to them and can cause swelling of the head. Light-skinned animals often have photosensitive reactions after eating this plant. Little else appears to be known about the floral-faunal relationships for this species. Photographic Location

Zizeeria knysna (Sooty blue) Grammodes stolida (Stolid lines)

Common at middle and lower altitudes

Fl.Per.: Almost throughout the year.

Annual.

Annual.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 7
Specimens with Barcodes: 26
Species With Barcodes: 1

Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Puncture Vine is typically found at dry sunny sites with scant vegetation; the soil usually contains an abundance of sand or gravel. It forms root nodules with rhizobial bacteria and adds nitrogen to the soil. Range & Habitat