Tribulus terrestris
L., Sp. Pl. 387. 1753; Edgew. & Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 1: 423.
1874, p.p.
Hindi: Gohshum, Chota gokhru, Gokhru, Kanti; Kan.: Negalu; Mal.: Neringil; Mar.:
Lahana gokhru, Sarate; Punj.: Bhakra; Tam.: Nerunji; Tel.: Palleru-mullu, Chirupalleru.
Herbs, annual, prostrate to procumbent or sub-erect, hairy; branches up to 1 m long, hirsute to sericeous. Leaves 3 - 7 cm long; leaflets 8 - 14, ovate to elliptic, oblique, acute or obtuse, 4 - 11 x 2 - 5 mm; stipules subulate to falcate, 2 - 5 x 1 - 15 mm. Flowers 8 - 10 mm across, yellow; pedicels ca 10 mm long. Sepals ovate-lanceolate,acute, 2 - 4 x 15 - 2 mm, hirsute, scarious and minutely ciliate margins. Petals 2.5 - 5 x 1 - 3 mm. Stamens 10,3 - 4 mm long; anthers oblong. Ovary ca 1.5 mm across, with stiff up ward spreading bulbous-based hairs; style ca 1 mm long; stigma 5-rayed, slightly asymmetrical. Fruits 10 - 15 mm across excluding spines; mericarps 4 - 8 x 5 - 7 mm, dorsally tuberculate; spines 4 or 2.
Fl. & Fr. Almost throughout the year.
Distrib. India: Common weed of waste places, road-sides and fallow lands of sandy and gravelly habitats; throughout from sea level to 3500 m. Pantropical.
Notes. This is an exceedingly variable species in both vegetative and reproductive characters. Hadidi in Rech. f., Fl. Iran. No. 98: 15 - 18. 1972 recognised 4 varieties under this species viz. i) var. orientalis (Kerner) G. Beck., ii) var. robustus (Boiss. & Boe) Boiss., iii) var. bicomnutus (Fischer & Mey) Hadidi and iv) var. inermis Boiss.; but the characters used for separating them are overlapping and variable. Hence not recognised here.
Chromosome no. 2n = 12, 24 - 36,48(Fedorov, Chorm. Numb. Fl. Pl. 727. 1974); n = 16 (Sarkar et al. in Taxon 26: 443. 1977).
Uses. Young leaves and stems are used as vegetables. Fruits are used as tonic, aphrodisiac, diuretic, and are useful in cases of kidney diseases, chronic cystitis and gonorrhoea.
Herbs, annual, prostrate to procumbent or sub-erect, hairy; branches up to 1 m long, hirsute to sericeous. Leaves 3 - 7 cm long; leaflets 8 - 14, ovate to elliptic, oblique, acute or obtuse, 4 - 11 x 2 - 5 mm; stipules subulate to falcate, 2 - 5 x 1 - 15 mm. Flowers 8 - 10 mm across, yellow; pedicels ca 10 mm long. Sepals ovate-lanceolate,acute, 2 - 4 x 15 - 2 mm, hirsute, scarious and minutely ciliate margins. Petals 2.5 - 5 x 1 - 3 mm. Stamens 10,3 - 4 mm long; anthers oblong. Ovary ca 1.5 mm across, with stiff up ward spreading bulbous-based hairs; style ca 1 mm long; stigma 5-rayed, slightly asymmetrical. Fruits 10 - 15 mm across excluding spines; mericarps 4 - 8 x 5 - 7 mm, dorsally tuberculate; spines 4 or 2.
Fl. & Fr. Almost throughout the year.
Distrib. India: Common weed of waste places, road-sides and fallow lands of sandy and gravelly habitats; throughout from sea level to 3500 m. Pantropical.
Notes. This is an exceedingly variable species in both vegetative and reproductive characters. Hadidi in Rech. f., Fl. Iran. No. 98: 15 - 18. 1972 recognised 4 varieties under this species viz. i) var. orientalis (Kerner) G. Beck., ii) var. robustus (Boiss. & Boe) Boiss., iii) var. bicomnutus (Fischer & Mey) Hadidi and iv) var. inermis Boiss.; but the characters used for separating them are overlapping and variable. Hence not recognised here.
Chromosome no. 2n = 12, 24 - 36,48(Fedorov, Chorm. Numb. Fl. Pl. 727. 1974); n = 16 (Sarkar et al. in Taxon 26: 443. 1977).
Uses. Young leaves and stems are used as vegetables. Fruits are used as tonic, aphrodisiac, diuretic, and are useful in cases of kidney diseases, chronic cystitis and gonorrhoea.
