Xanthium strumarium Rough Cocklebur
Looking a little like our British Burdock (Arctium sp) this is actually a north American alien which has established itself in various places in the Mediterranean but is also found in Australia, China and South Africa. It is also known as Large Cocklebur, Common Cocklebur, California-bur, Canada Bur, Noogoora bur, Siberian Cocklebur and Ditchbur. It has been used in various herbal medications through the ages but is quite poisonous containing a toxin called carboxyatratyloside in the burs. This chemical causes liver damage with symptoms of acute onset abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, palpitations and sweating.
The flowers do not not appear to be obvious Daisy family members but it is a actually a member of the Asteraceae. Looking closely at the burs which are hooked to attach themselves to animal coats, the hooked spines appear to have even smaller spines.
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| Xanthium strumarium Rough Cocklebur |
On beach at Stegna, Rhodes, 18th May 2010
Added on 24th December 2017