California Caltrop
Kallstroemia californica
Blooming in the Rainbow Valley west of the Estrella Mountains, Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA on 12 Sept. 2009. A nearly mature fruit can be seen at lower left.
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ANNUAL HERB: Warm season annual grows rapidly after late spring or
summer rains. Low growing and often prostrate. Very closely resembles the
related
Puncture Vine (Tribulus terestris).
LEAVES: Dark green, compound leaves with an even number of leaflets are
alternate on the stems. Stems are covered with hairs.
RANGE: Sonoran Desert and distributed west into the Mojave Desert and
east into the Chihuahuan Desert. Often in distrubed soils at roadsides and
along washes.
FLOWERS: Small flowers more or less 6 mm
dia. Yellow, five-petalled with ten stames. July to Sept.
UNARMED: Unlike puncture vine, the seeds do not have sharp spurs.
FRUIT: The spherical fruit is small, eventually breaking into several
segments (schizocarp),
and has a warty texture.