HPIPM:Puncturevine

Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	Magnoliophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Superorder	Rosanae
Order	Zygophyllales
Family	Zygophyllaceae
Genus	Tribulus

Scientific Name

Tribulus terrestris

Common Name

puncturevine

Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris)

Author: Tim Prather, University of Idaho, Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences

Adapted from: Idaho Weed Resource webpage on puncturevine.

Identification and Life Cycle

Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris) is a non-native, prostrate annual weed in the caltrop family (Zygophyllaceae). Puncturevine forms dense mats up to 4 feet across. Cotelydons are 0.2 to 0.6 inch long, olive green, and oblong with a notch in the tip. First leaves are pinnate and covered with numerous hairs on both the leaves and the petioles. Leaves are opposite and pinnately compound with four to eight pairs of oval, hairy, 1/2-inch long leaflets. Stems branch from the base and from leaf axils and are slender and hairy. Flowers are five-petalled, yellow, 1/2 inch wide, and borne singly in leaf axils from midsummer until frost. Fruits are roughly circular, splitting into five sections, each with two large, divergent spines. These tack-like burs contain up to four seeds.

Habitats

Puncturevine is most often found on sandy, dry, or gravelly sites and grows in pastures, cultivated fields, roadsides, sidewalks, parks, and waste areas.

Impacts

Puncturevine produces sharply pointed burs that stick painfully in bare feet and cause bicycle flats, reducing the recreational use of many areas. Even light truck tires can be punctured by seeds. Puncturevine has a deep taproot and can compete aggressively for water and nutrients in crop areas. The sharp spines on puncturevine can cause injury to the mouths, digestive tracts, and feet of livestock.

Biology and Ecology

Puncturevine reproduces only by seed. A single plant can produce as many as 400 fruits, each fruit containing two to three seeds. Germination usually starts during spring and continues until frost. Puncturevine requires relatively high temperature for germination and growth. Burs separate as they mature and often lie in the soil for years before germinating. Puncturevine prefers light-textured soils, but will grow on almost any type of soil. Flowering occurs from June to September. Puncturevine forms mats with stems 3 to 5 feet in diameter. The root system of puncturevine consists of a simple taproot.

Management Approaches

Chemical, mechanical, and biological control options are available to manage puncturevine. As an annual, long term control is best achieved by implementing management tactics prior to seedset.

Biological Control

Two biological control agents have been released in the United States. One agent, a seed feeding weevil (Microlarinus lareynii) feeds on seeds in the larval stage and pupates in the seeds, destroying them. The other agent is a stem and root crown-mining weevil (Microlarinus lypriformis) with larvae that tunnel into stems and root crowns.

Mechanical and Cultural Control

For small infestations, puncturevine can be controlled by hand removal of seedlings and hoeing to cut the plant off at the taproot before the plant flowers. Shallow tilling of seedlings or small plants can also be effective on larger areas.

Chemical Control

Chemical control is available primarily for use on young plants or fall regrowth. For herbicide recommendations for specific grain rotations and weeds in Montana, please see the MSU Herbicide Chooser Tool.

Examples of herbicides that can be used to manage puncturevine

Consult herbicide labels for additional rate, application, and safety information. Additional herbicide information can be found at http://www.greenbook.net.

Due to constantly changing labels, laws and regulations, the sponsors of this web site assume no liability for the suggested use of any chemicals noted in the management section. Contact your local pest management personnel for current information on labeled pesticides that can be used for the intended plant disease, insect pest or weed.

References

For more information and images please visit IPM Bugwood. http://www.ipmimages.org/search/action.cfm?q=puncturevine