ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Tribulus terrestris
 
 
 CLASS:    DICOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    SAPINDALES
 FAMILY:   ZYGOPHYLLACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Tribulus terrestris
 AUTHORITY:  L.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    PUNCTURE-WEED
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: TRTE
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     CULTURAL
       AGRICULTURAL FIELD
         CROPLAND
         PASTURELAND
       DEVELOPED LAND
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   ALEXANDER       CARROLL         CASS            CHAMPAIGN       COLES
   COOK            CRAWFORD        DEKALB          DOUGLAS         DUPAGE
   FULTON          GREENE          GRUNDY          HENDERSON       KANE
   KANKAKEE        KENDALL         LAKE            LASALLE         LAWRENCE
   MCHENRY         MACON           MADISON         MARION          MASON
   MENARD          MERCER          MONROE          MORGAN          PEORIA
   PERRY           PULASKI         ST. CLAIR       SANGAMON        SCOTT
   TAZEWELL        UNION           WABASH          WILL
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Dicot-herb
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Primary
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:     Opposite
    LEAF TYPE:    Compound  (pinnately)
    LEAF MARGIN:   Entire
    LEAF VENATION:  Pinnate
    LEAF SHAPE:     Oblong
    INFLORESCENCE:   Solitary- few
    FLOWER MEROUS:  5
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete   Regular
    FLOWER COLOR:   Yellow
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Hypogynous
    FRUIT:   SCHIZOCARP
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     Species forms mats; spiny fruits splitting into five segments.
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Introduced-  Europe
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Occasional
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Forb
     LIFE CYCLE:   Annual
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      6         MONTH END-      9
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     C02 FIXATION:  C4
     SEX:      Perfect
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Species is distributed on sandy waste ground; railroad ballast;
     roadsides.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:   No data entered
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:
     NITROGEN FIXING   Maybe
 
 FUNCTIONAL DATA COMMENTS:
     Species is reported to form nodules.
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     SHOWY FLOWERS:  NO     LANDSCAPING:  NO
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:   No data entered
 
 LIVESTOCK COMMENTS:
     Cattle don't graze areas infested with this plant.
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     WEEDINESS:   Economic
 
 
 GENERAL COMMENTS:
     This is considered a noxious weed in CO & WY; may not be an economic
     weed in our area.
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Mohlenbrock, R. H., ed.  1975.  Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.  494 pp.
Jones, G. N.  1963.  Flora of Illinois.  Third ed.  American Midland Naturalist
     Monograph 7.  University of Notre Dame, Indiana.  401 pp.
Steyermark, J. A.  1963.  Flora of Missouri.  Iowa State University Press, Ames.
     1725 pp.
Gleason, H. A., and A. Cronquist.  1963.  Manual of vascular plants of north-
     eastern United States and adjacent Canada.  Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.,
     New York.  810 pp.
Fernald, M. L.  1950.  Gray's manual of botany.  8th ed.  American Book Co.,
     New York.  1632 pp.
Swink, F., and G. S. Wilhelm.  1979.  Plants of the Chicago region.  Third ed.
     The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.  922 pp.
Agricultural Experiment Station.  1981.  Weeds of the North Central States.
     Bulletin 772.  College of Agriculture, University of Illinois at Urbana-
     Champaign, Urbana.  303 pp.
Downton, W. J. S.  1975.  The occurrence of C4 photosynthesis among plants.
     Photosynthetica 9(1): 96-105.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Tribulus terrestris
 
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 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015