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Puncture Vine
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Puncture Vine
ative Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Puncture Vine, Caltrop, Yellow Vine, Goathead • Assamese: গোক্ষুৰ gokshura • Bengali: গোক্ষুর gokshura • Gujarati: બેઠા ગોખરુ betha gokharu, ગોખરુ gokharu, મીઠા ગોખરુ mitha gokharu • Hindi: गोखुरू gokhuru • Kachchhi: એકાંટી ekanti, મિઠા ગોખરુ mitha gokharu • Kannada: ನೆಗ್ಗಿಲು neggilu, ನೆರಿಗಿಲು nerigilu, ಸಣ್ಣ ನೆಗ್ಗಿಲು sanna neggilu • Konkani: ನೆಗಲ್ಮುಳ್ಳು negalmullu • Malayalam: ചെറിയ ഞെരിഞ്ഞിൽ cheriya-neringil, ഞെരിഞ്ഞിൽ nerungil, വയൽച്ചുള്ളി vayalchchulli • Marathi: गोखरू gokharu, काटे गोखरू kate gokharu, गोक्षुर gokshura, लहान गोखरू lahan gokharu, सरांटा saranta • Nepali: गोखुर gokhur • Odia: ବ୍ଯାଳ ନଖ byala nakha, ଗୋଖୁର gokhura, ଗୋକ୍ଷୁର gokshura, କଣ୍ଟକଫଳ kantkaphala, ପଳଙ୍କଷା palankasha, ଷଡଙ୍ଗ shardanga, ଶୃଙ୍ଗାଟକ srungatka, ସ୍ବାଦଂଷ୍ଟ୍ରା swadamshtra, ସ୍ବାଦୁ କଣ୍ଟକ swadu kantaka, ତ୍ରିକଣ୍ଟ trikanta • Punjabi: ਗੋਖਰੂ gokharu, ਲੋਤਕ lotak, ਪਕਡ਼ਾ pakra, ਫਨਗਰਾ phangra • Rajasthani: छोटा गोखरू chota gokharu, गोखरू gokharu • Sanskrit:अश्वदंष्ट्रा ashvadanshtra, बहुकण्टक bahukantaka, चलद्रुम chaladruma, चणद्रुम chanadruma, चित्रकण्टक chitrakantaka, गोखुर gokhura, गोक्षुर gokshura, पदन्यास padanyasa, श्वदंष्ट्रक shvadanshtraka, स्थलशृङ्गाट sthalashrngata, स्वादुकण्टक svadukantaka, त्रिकण्टक trikantaka, वनशृङ्गाट vanashrngata, व्याघ्रदंष्ट्र vyaghradanshtra, व्यालदंष्ट्रक vyaladanshtraka • Tamil: அக்கிலு akkilu, அக்கினி akkini, அச்சுரம் accuram, அசுவதட்டிரம் acuva-tattiram, நெருஞ்சி nerunci • Telugu: పల్లేరు palleru • Tibetan: གཟེ་མ gze ma • Tulu: ನೇಗಿಲ್ negilu • Urdu: گوکهرو gokhuru, گوکشر gokshura Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Tribulus terrestris var. bicornutus    Family: Zygophyllaceae (Caltrop family)
Synonyms: Tribulus bicornutus, Tribulus hispidus

Puncture Vine is an obnoxious weed whose seeds are incredibly painful to step on, they easilly puncture your bicycle tires, and sometimes have to be pulled out of your pets' paws. It is a taprooted herbaceous perennial plant that grows as a summer annual in colder climates. The stems radiate from the crown to a diameter of about 10 cm to over 1 m, often branching. They are usually prostrate, forming flat patches, though they may grow more upwards in shade or among taller plants. The leaves are pinnately compound with leaflets less than a quarter-inch long. The flowers are 4-10 mm wide, with five lemon-yellow petals. A week after each flower blooms, it is followed by a fruit that easily falls apart into four or five single-seeded nutlets. The nutlets or "seeds" are hard and bear two sharp spines, 10 mm long and 4-6 mm broad point-to-point. These nutlets strikingly resemble goats' or bulls' heads; the "horns" are sharp enough to puncture bicycle tyres and to cause considerable pain to unshod feet.
Medicinal uses: Tribulus is mentioned in ancient Indian Ayurvedic medical texts dating back thousands of years. Tribulus has been widely used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine for the treatment of sexual dysfunction and various urinary disorders. The Greeks used Tribulus Terrestris as a diuretic. In China and Vietnam it has been used in the treatment of post-partum hemorrhage, epistaxis and gastro intestinal bleeding. Tribulus terrestris is being promoted as a testosterone booster for the purpose of building muscle and increasing sex drive. It does not work like DHEA and androstenedione 100, which are progenitors of testosterone. Instead, claims have been made that it enhances testosterone levels by increasing luteinizing hormone levels.

Identification credit: Thingnam Sophia Photographed in the Garden of Five Senses, Delhi

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