Post on 15-Oct-2020
transcript
Agronomy217 WeedIdentification
Puncturevine TribulusterrestrisL.Family:Zygophyllaceae
Lifecycle:Annual
Habitat:Wasteareas,roadsides.
Generaldescription:Relativelysmall,prostrateplantwithcompoundleaves.Multiplestemsdevelopfromthecrown,stemscanreachlengthsof2-3ft.Leavesarepinnatelycompoundwith4to8pairsofleaflets.Leafletsare¼-½inlength,twiceaslongaswide,andhairy.Flowershave5yellowpetals,eachpetalapproximately¼”long.Fruitconsistsof5sections,eachwithhard,sharpspines.Eachsectioncontains2to4seed.
KeyIDtraits:Compoundleaveswithhairyleaflets,matforminggrowthhabit.
Similarspecies:Growthhabitissimilartoprostratespurgeandprostrateknotweed.However,thehairyleafletsandcompoundleafarekeydistinguishingfeatures.
Miscellaneous:Puncturevineismorecommoninthewesternpartofthestate,butisfoundoccasionallythroughout.Thebursarenotoriousforcausingflattiresonbikeswhentheplantgrowsalongtheedgesofroads.
CompoundleavesandflowerFivepartfruitwithsharp-spinedburs.
Puncturevineprostrategrowthhabit.