Cocklebur
Encyclopedia
Cockleburs are a genus
of flowering plant
s in the family Asteraceae
, native to the Americas
and eastern Asia
.
annual plant
s growing to 19.69-47.24 in (1.5 to 4 ft) tall. The leaves
are spirally arranged, with a deeply toothed margin. Some species, notably X. spinosum, are also very thorny with long, slender spines
at the leaf bases.
The flower
s are of two types; One, in short terminal branches, produces only pollen
. The other, in clusters in the axils of the leaves, produces seed
.
Unlike many other members of the family Asteraceae, whose seeds are airborne with a plume of silky hairs resembling miniature parachute
s, cocklebur seeds are produced in a hard, spiny, globose or oval double-chambered, single-seeded bur .32-.79 in long. It is covered with stiff, hooked spines, which sticks to fur and clothing and can be quite difficult to extract. These remarkable burred seeds have allowed this plant to be carried all over the world by unsuspecting travelers. This plant reproduces only by means of its seed.
. They can also flower in the tropics where the daylength is constant.
where in the past the (now extinct) Carolina Parakeet
fed on the seeds. It has become an invasive species
worldwide. It invades agricultural lands and can be poison
ous to livestock
, including horses, cattle, and sheep. Some domestic animals will avoid consuming the plant if other forage is present, but less discriminating animals, such as pig
s, will consume the plants and then sicken and die. The seedlings and seeds are the most toxic parts of the plants. Symptoms usually occur within a few hours, producing unsteadiness and weakness, depression, nausea
and vomiting, twisting of the neck muscles, rapid and weak pulse, difficulty breathing, and eventually death.
The plant also has been used for making yellow dye, hence the name of the genus (Greek xanthos = 'yellow'). The many species of this plant, which can be found in many areas, may actually be varieties of two or three species. The seed oil
is edible to humans.
Asian species of Xanthium also known as Cang Er Zi in Traditional Chinese Medicine
. According to some studies, an active ingredient in Xanthium exhibits significant selective modulation of superoxide anion generation by human neutrophils induced by formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine, with an IC50 value of 1.72 mcg/mL.
This plant is a beneficial weed
, repelling army worm
s and other pests from nearby domesticated plants.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the family Asteraceae
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
, native to the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
and eastern Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Growth
They are coarse, herbaceousHerbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
annual plant
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
s growing to 19.69-47.24 in (1.5 to 4 ft) tall. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are spirally arranged, with a deeply toothed margin. Some species, notably X. spinosum, are also very thorny with long, slender spines
Thorns, spines, and prickles
In botanical morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles are hard structures with sharp, or at least pointed, ends. In spite of this common feature, they differ in their growth and development on the plant; they are modified versions of different plant organs, stems, stipules, leaf veins, or hairs...
at the leaf bases.
The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are of two types; One, in short terminal branches, produces only pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
. The other, in clusters in the axils of the leaves, produces seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
.
Unlike many other members of the family Asteraceae, whose seeds are airborne with a plume of silky hairs resembling miniature parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
s, cocklebur seeds are produced in a hard, spiny, globose or oval double-chambered, single-seeded bur .32-.79 in long. It is covered with stiff, hooked spines, which sticks to fur and clothing and can be quite difficult to extract. These remarkable burred seeds have allowed this plant to be carried all over the world by unsuspecting travelers. This plant reproduces only by means of its seed.
Characteristics
Cockleburs are short-day plants, meaning they only initiate flowering when the days are getting shorter in the late summer and fall, typically from July to October in the northern hemisphereNorthern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
. They can also flower in the tropics where the daylength is constant.
Selected species
The number of species is disputed between different authors, with some recognising as few as three species in the genus.- Xanthium ambrosioides
- Xanthium brasilicum
- Xanthium commune
- Xanthium echinatum - Stinking Cocklebur
- Xanthium inaequilaterum
- Xanthium inflexum
- Xanthium mongolicum
- Xanthium occidentale - Noogoora Burr
- Xanthium sibiricum - in Chinese
- Xanthium speciosum
- Xanthium spinosumXanthium spinosumXanthium spinosum is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by many common names, including spiny cocklebur and prickly burweed. It is known worldwide as a noxious weed that grows in many types of disturbed habitat. Its original native range is not known but it may have come from...
- Spiny Cocklebur, Burreed, Bathurst Burr. South and Central America. - Xanthium strumariumXanthium strumariumXanthium strumarium is a species of annual plants belonging to the Asteraceae family...
- Clotbur, Rough Cocklebur, Large Cocklebur, Common Cocklebur. North America, extensively naturalized elsewhere. Syn. X. canadense, X. chinense, , X. glabratum
Dangers and uses
The Common Cocklebur (X. strumarium) is a native of North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
where in the past the (now extinct) Carolina Parakeet
Carolina Parakeet
The Carolina Parakeet was the only parrot species native to the eastern United States. It was found from the Ohio Valley to the Gulf of Mexico, and lived in old forests along rivers. It was the only species at the time classified in the genus Conuropsis...
fed on the seeds. It has become an invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
worldwide. It invades agricultural lands and can be poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ous to livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
, including horses, cattle, and sheep. Some domestic animals will avoid consuming the plant if other forage is present, but less discriminating animals, such as pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s, will consume the plants and then sicken and die. The seedlings and seeds are the most toxic parts of the plants. Symptoms usually occur within a few hours, producing unsteadiness and weakness, depression, nausea
Nausea
Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...
and vomiting, twisting of the neck muscles, rapid and weak pulse, difficulty breathing, and eventually death.
The plant also has been used for making yellow dye, hence the name of the genus (Greek xanthos = 'yellow'). The many species of this plant, which can be found in many areas, may actually be varieties of two or three species. The seed oil
Cocklebur oil
Cocklebur oil is obtained by pressing the seeds of the cocklebur , a plant that is otherwise considered an agricultural pest that can harm or kill livestock. The oil is similar to poppyseed oil, light yellow in color, and similar to sunflower oil in taste and smell....
is edible to humans.
Asian species of Xanthium also known as Cang Er Zi in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
. According to some studies, an active ingredient in Xanthium exhibits significant selective modulation of superoxide anion generation by human neutrophils induced by formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine, with an IC50 value of 1.72 mcg/mL.
This plant is a beneficial weed
Beneficial weed
|thumb|right|Clover was once included in grass seed mixes, because of its great benefits to yard healthA beneficial weed is any of various plants not generally considered domesticated, but which nonetheless has some companion plant effect, or else is edible or somehow beneficial...
, repelling army worm
Army worm
The Fall Armyworm is part of the order of Lepidoptera and is the caterpillar life stage of a moth. It is regarded as a pest and can wreak havoc with crops if left to multiply. Its name is derived from its feeding habits...
s and other pests from nearby domesticated plants.