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Xanthium strumarium
| Common name: |
Cocklebur |
Family: |
Compositae |
| Author: |
L. |
Botanical references: |
17, 50 |
| Synonyms: |
Xanthium canadense (Mill.) |
| Known Hazards: |
Poisonous[65, 76]. Most members of this genus are toxic to grazing animals and are usually avoided by them[222]. The seed also contains toxins[222]. |
| Range: |
A cosmopolitan plant, a locally established casual in Britain[17]. |
| Habitat: |
River banks, lake shores, cultivated ground and pastures[50]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
1 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 3 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| X. acerosum[B,P]
X. californicum[B,P]
X. californicum var. rotundifolium[B,P]
X. campestre[B,P]
X. cavanillesii[B,P]
X. cenchroides[B,P]
X. commune[B,P]
X. echinatum[B,P]
X. glanduliferum[B,P]
X. italicum[B,P]
X. macounii[B,P]
X. occidentale[G]
X. oligacanthum[B,P]
X. orientale[G]
X. oviforme[B,P]
X. pensylvanicum[B,G,P]
X. pungens[G]
X. saccharatum[B,P]
X. speciosum[B,P]
X. strumarium ssp. italicum[B,P]
X. strumarium var. canadense[B,,G,P]
X. strumarium var. oviforme[B,P]
X. strumarium var. pensylvanicum[B,P]
X. strumonium[E]
X. varians[B,P]
X. vulgare[G]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Buah Anjang [E], Burweed [E], Cadillo [E], Canada Cockleburr [P], Cang Er Zi [E], Chuan Erh [E], Common Cocklebur [FEIS,L], Erh Tang [E], Gatico [E], Hsi Erh [E], Kucuk Siracaotu [E], Late Stekelnoot [D], Lizzaij [E], Ona-Momi [E], Rough Cockleburr [P,B], Sea Burdock [E], Ts'Ang Erh [E], Yang Fu Lai [E], |
| Systematics: | From a USDA
Plants Database |
|
Order: Asterales. Renamed to Asteraceae -- Aster family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
Brazil; China; Dominican Republic; Hawaii; India; Indochina; Iraq; Japan; Java; Mexico(Seri); Spain; Sudan; Turkey; Us
|
| Noxious, Invasive and Injurious Weeds | From USDA
PLANTS database, Weeds Australia
, DEFRA Injurious Weeds | | Listed as noxious/invasive for: Iowa, Minnesota, New South Wales, Western Australia, Tasmaina, Northen Territory (Aust). |
Physical Characteristics
Annual growing to 0.75m by 0.4m . It is hardy to zone 7. It is in flower from July to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Insects.
The plant is self-fertile.
We rate it 1/5 for edibility and
3/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in nutritionally poor soil.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It cannot grow in the shade.
It requires dry or moist soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Cultivated Beds.Edible Uses
Leaves; Seed.
Leaves and young plants - cooked[2, 105, 177]. They must be thoroughly
boiled and then washed[179]. Caution is advised, the plant is probably
poisonous[218].
Seed - raw or cooked[212]. It can be used as a piñole[257]. The seed can be
ground into a powder and mixed with flour for making bread, cakes etc[105,
257]. The seed contains about 36.7% protein, 38.6% fat, 5.2% ash[179]. It
also contains a glycoside[179] and is probably poisonous.
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Anodyne; Antibacterial; Antifungal; Antiperiodic; Antirheumatic; Antispasmodic; Antitussive; Appetizer; Cytotoxic; Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Emollient; Febrifuge; Hypoglycaemic; Laxative; Sedative; Stomachic.
The leaves and root are anodyne, antirheumatic, appetizer, diaphoretic,
diuretic, emollient, laxative and sedative[61, 147, 178, 222]. The plant is
considered to be useful in treating long-standing cases of malaria[240] and
is used as an adulterant for Datura stramonium[61]. An infusion of the plant
has been used in the treatment of rheumatism, diseased kidneys and
tuberculosis[257]. It has also been used as a liniment on the armpits to
reduce perspiration[257].
The fruits contain a number of medically active compounds including
glycosides and phytosterols[279]. They are anodyne, antibacterial,
antifungal, antimalarial, antirheumatic, antispasmodic, antitussive,
cytotxic, hypoglycaemic and stomachic[238, 279]. They are used internally in
the treatment of allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, catarrh, rheumatism,
rheumatoid arthritis, constipation, diarrhoea, lumbago, leprosy and
pruritis[238, 257]. They are also used externally to treat pruritis[238]. The
fruits are harvested when ripe and dried for later use[238].
The root is a bitter tonic and febrifuge[240]. It has historically been used
in the treatment of scrofulous tumours[222]. A decoction of the root has been
used in the treatment of high fevers and to help a woman expel the
afterbirth[257].
A decoction of the seeds has been used in the treatment of bladder
complaints[257]. A poultice of the powdered seed has been applied as a salve
on open sores[257]. We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.
Other Uses
Dye; Essential; Repellent; Tannin.
The dried leaves are a source of tannin[145].
A yellow dye is obtained from the leaves[178].
The seed powder has been used as a blue body paint[257].
The dried plant repels weevils from stored wheat grain[178].
The seed contains an essential oil[272].
Cultivation details
Requires a sunny position, succeeding in most soils. Prefers a poor dry
soil[238].
Hardy to about -15°c[238].
Plants often self sow and in some parts of the world have become noxious
weeds[238].
Propagation
Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ[238]. The seed requires plenty of
moisture in order to germinate.
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [V] Images
from the Vascular Plant Image Gallery of the Texas A&M Bioinformatics Working Group.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [S] SW USA Dist. Maps
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [C] Taxon data.
from the CalFlora database.
- Images
from the CalPhoto database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [FEIS] Data
(Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for Xanthium canadense (a possible synonym).
References for Xanthium strumarium var. canadense (a possible synonym).
References for Xanthium strumonium (a possible synonym).
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[65] Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984 ISBN 0723408394
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.
[76] Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984 ISBN 0112425291
Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.
[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
[145] Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976
A good flora of the western Himalayas but poorly illustrated. Some information on plant uses.
[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.
[179] Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977
A translation of an ancient Chinese book on edible wild foods. Fascinating.
[212] Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963 ISBN 63-7093
Excellent little pocket guide to the area, covering 590 species and often giving details of their uses.
[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
Readers Comments
Main Search Page
Bibliography
Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
Species Database.
Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Xanthium+strumarium
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Xanthium+strumarium
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