Puncturevine

Description:

PUNCTUREVINE - Tribulus terrestris L.

Zygophyllaceae - (Caltrop family)

Puncturevine is annual, prostrate or somewhat ascending, mat forming, with trailing stems, each 1/2 to 5 feet long. Leaves opposite, hairy, divided into 4 to 8 pairs of leaflets, each about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long and oval. Flowers are yellow, 1/3 to 1/2 inch wide with 5 petals, borne in the leaf axils. Fruits consist of 5 sections which, at maturity, break into tack-like structures with sharp, sometimes curving spines, each section 2-to 4-seeded.

Puncturevine was introduced from southern Europe and is now widely scattered over much of the U.S. It grows in pastures, cultivated fields, waste areas, and along highways and roads. The hard, spiny burs damage wool, are undesirable in hay, and may be injurious to livestock. Bicycle tires are frequently punctured by the burs. The seed will remain dormant in the soil for 4 to 5 years, which makes eradication difficult. Because of its sharp burs, puncturevine has been spread over a wide area by animals and vehicles. Flowering and seed production occur from July to October.

Non-standard names: goathead, Mexican sandbur, Texas sandbur.

(Courtesy of Weeds of the West)

CONTROL STRATEGIES:

Puncturevine has big seeds. It can germinate all summer long if the conditions are right. Most broad leaf herbicides will kill it, but there maybe several flushes during the summer making repeat application important in gaining control. Prevention of seed production is the goal. It grows flat so a mower passes right over the top. Plant perennial grasses and spray several times a summer until the plants quit coming. This weed can also be hand pulled, or hoed before flowering with good impact.

To learn about biological control agents on Puncturevine visit this link.