Cocklebur
Xanthium strumarium
Like many wind-pollinated plants,
cockleburs have tiny flowers that release enormous amounts of pollen
into the air. Cockleburs are related to ragweed, and they are a
troublesome hay fever plant. You're more likely to recognize cockleburs
by their prickles than by their pollen. If you've ever stepped in
a cocklebur patch you've probably come out with a busload of burs
on your socks and shoes. These prickly plants grow thick in the
rich soil of fields and riverbeds. The burs are actually a casing
to protect the plant's seeds. The sharp hooks help the burs hitch
a ride to new places where the seeds can put down roots. That's
how the plant has traveled across oceans and continents. Cockleburs
now grow all over the world.
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