Xanthium spinosum

Linn.

Spiny clotbur, Spiny cocklebur

AsteraceaeSeeds/NutsPotential hazards — see below

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(c) Antonio W. Salas, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Antonio W. Salas

What to Eat

Edible parts: Seeds - oil

None known

Known Hazards

Xanthium spinosum, as well as others within the genus, are used in many traditional medicinal treatments. The chloroform extracts found in the plant are used to treat numerous ailments such as hydrophobia, rabies, fevers, diarrhea, and cancer. In Chinese medicinal practices, the methanol extracts found in the leaves and fruits are used to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. This species can also be toxic to humans, as it produces toxins that cause nephrotoxic effects, causing damage to the kidneys.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate or Mediterranean plant. It grows on cultivated and waste grounds. It grows in warm temperate places. It grows in wet alkaline soils. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 2,500 m above sea level. Tasmania Herbarium.

Africa, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada,Central Asia, Chile, China, East Africa, Eswatini, Europe, France, Greece, India, Italy, Korea, Mediterranean, North America*, Paraguay, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, Swaziland, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, Uruguay, USA, Zimbabwe,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Albania, Armenia, Angola, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Barbados, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Brunei, Bolivia, Brazil, Bahamas, Bhutan, Botswana, Belarus, Belize, Canada, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Switzerland, Cote d'Ivoire, Chile, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cape Verde, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Djibouti, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Algeria, Ecuador, Estonia, Egypt, Eritrea, Spain, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Gabon, United Kingdom, Grenada, Georgia, French Guiana, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras, Croatia, Haiti, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Japan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Comoros, St Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St Lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Libya, Morocco, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, Madagascar, North Macedonia, Mali, Myanmar, Mongolia, Mauritania, Malta, Mauritius, Maldives, Malawi, Mexico, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Oman, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Paraguay, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sierra Leone, San Marino, Senegal, Somalia, Suriname, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, El Salvador, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Taiwan, Tanzania, Ukraine, Uganda, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A medium sized stiffly branched annual herb. It grows 1 m high. It has simple or 3 forked yellowish spines at the base of each leaf. The fruit heads are 8-12 mm across. They are covered with dense, hooked spines.

How to Grow

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils but requires a sunny position. Plants often self sow.

Propagation: Sow seed in spring in situ. The seed requires plenty of moisture to germinate.

Medicinal Uses

The whole plant is an active styptic for both local and general application. It is considered a valuable and reliable treatment for hydrophobia. The plant is also diaphoretic, diuretic, and sedative. An infusion of the root has been used as an emetic.

Other Uses

None known

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Xanthium spinosum (also known as Acanthoxanthium spinosum) is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by many common names, including spiny cocklebur, prickly burweed and Bathurst burr. This species is part of the genus Xanthium that encompasses 25 different species of flowering plants of the daisy family, Asteraceae, and sunflower tribe.

Names & Synonyms

Abrojillo, Abrojo chico, Bathurst burr, Cadillo, Cepa caballo, Cloncli, Histiri zer, Trnati bodič

Acanthoxanthium spinosum (L.) E. Fourn.

References (11)

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http://www.botanic-gardens-ljubljana.com/en/plants
Kaya, O. M., et al, 2020, An ethnobotanical research in Sanhurfa central district and attached Villages (Turkey). Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. Vol. 19(1) pp 7-23
Malezas Comestibles del Cono Sur, INTA, 2009, Buernos Aires
Paczkowska, G. & Chapman, A.R., 2000, The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Catalogue. Western Australian Herbarium. p 179
Pieroni, A., et al, 2012, "We are Italians!": The Hybrid Ethnobotany of a Venetian Diaspora in Eastern Romania. Human Ecology 40:435-451
Sp. pl. 2:987. 1753
Swaziland's Flora Database http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora
Tasmanian Herbarium Vascular Plants list p 15