TRBCI
Growth form
Broadleaf
Biological cycle
Annual
Habitat
Terrestrial
synonym | Kallstroemia cistoides (L.) Endl. |
synonym | Tribulus alacranensis Millsp. |
synonym | Tribulus cistoides f. anacanthus (B.L.Rob.) Svenson |
synonym | Tribulus cistoides var. anacanthus B.L. Rob. |
synonym | Tribulus cistoides var. anacanthus B.L. Rob. |
synonym | Tribulus cistoides var. anacanthus B.L.Rob. |
synonym | Tribulus cistoides var. galapagensis Svenson |
synonym | Tribulus cistoides var. medius (Engl.) Cuf. |
synonym | Tribulus lanuginosus Blanco |
synonym | Tribulus moluccanus Decne. |
synonym | Tribulus sericeus Anderss. |
synonym | Tribulus sericeus Andersson |
synonym | Tribulus sericeus Andersson |
synonym | Tribulus sericeus var. erectus Anderss. |
synonym | Tribulus sericeus var. erectus Andersson |
synonym | Tribulus sericeus var. erectus Andersson |
synonym | Tribulus sericeus var. humifusus Anderss. |
synonym | Tribulus sericeus var. humifusus Andersson |
synonym | Tribulus sericeus var. humifusus Andersson |
synonym | Tribulus taiwanense T.C. Huang & T. H. Hsieh |
synonym | Tribulus terrestris var. cistoides (L.) Oliv. |
synonym | Tribulus terrestris var. cistoides (L.) Oliv. |
synonym | Tribulus terrestris var. cistoides Subvar. medius Engl. |
synonym | Tribulus terrestris var. moluccensis Blume |
synonym | Tribulus terrestris var. moluccensis Blume |
synonym | Tribulus terrestris var. sericeus Andersson |
English |
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Malagasy |
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Global description
Tribulus cistoides is a prostrate herb, hairy, with opposite and composed leaves. At each pair, there is a large leaf opposite a smaller one. The flowers are solitary at the base of the leaf. The 5 petals are yellow. The fruit forms a ball of 12 to 16 mm diameter, bristling with strong straight thorns. At maturity it is divided into 5 quarter with 2 strong spines on the top and 2 shorter downwards.
Cotyledons
Cotyledons are oblong, shortly stalked. The blade is 10 mm long and 2.5 mm wide. It is finely pubescent and marked with 3 longitudinal veins.
First leaves
First leaves are compound, opposite. A large leaf develops opposite a small leaf. The first leaves has 4 to 5 pairs of elliptical leaflets, asymmetrical at the base and finely pubescent.
General habit
Prostrate herb, extensively branched, growing in patches that may cover a large area, up to 2 m in diameter.
Underground system
Branched taproot.
Stem
Stem is cylindrical, solid, 30 to 100 cm long. The stems are covered with two types of hairs. Long and simple hairs are mixed with a short pubescence of variable density. The branches are alternate and are born in the axils of the shortest leaf of each pair.
Leaf
Leaves are opposite, compound, paripinnate. For each pair, a short leaf not exceeding 2.5 cm in length is located opposite a long leaf of 3 to 6.5 cm. There is a rotation at each node of the short and long leaves. The leaves are short-stalked. The stipules, linear or very narrowly oval, are 5 to 10 mm long, one shorter than the other. The leaflets by 6 or 8 pairs, are obliquely oblong or elliptic, 8 to 14 mm long and 3 to 4.5 mm wide. The base is asymmetrical and the apex is acute or obtuse, sometimes mucronate. The leaflets are sessile or very shortly stalked. The venation is inconspicuous. The leaflets bear, especially in the early stage, simple and applied hairs.
Inflorescence
Solitary flowers that grow at the axils of the smallest leaf.
Flower
Flowers held by a peduncle, 4 to 11 mm long, which expand at fruiting and reaches 12 to 18 mm. Their hairs are identical to that of the stem. The calyx consists of 5 persistent narrowly ovals sepals, 5 to 7 mm long and 1 mm wide and hairy on the back. The corolla consist of five free yellow petals, glabrous, delicate and fugitive, obovate shaped, 6 mm to 11 mm long and 2.5 to 6 mm wide, exceeding the sepals, forming an open flower of 2 to 3 cm of diameter. 10 stamens with a filament of 1.5 to 4 mm long. The ovary densely hairy is covered with silvery and robust hairs. The style is gradually transformed towards the top into a long stigmatic of 1 to 3 mm, cylindrical or narrowly pyramidal.
Fruit
Globular fruit with 5 angles, 12 to 16 mm in diameter (including spines), variously tuberculate and hairy, with strong straight spines. It consist of 4 to 5 mericarps in the shape of a quarter of an orange. Each mericarp has a convex outer surface variously tuberculate and hairy. It has 2 large straight radiating spines and sometimes some smaller spines. At maturity the mericarps separate and serve as a dissemination organ.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Mayotte: Tribulus cistoides flowers and fruits all year round.
New Caledonia: The rapid development cycle of Tribulus cistoides makes it a formidable colonizing species. The seeds germinate after the warm rainy season ; a deep root system takes place in a few weeks. The first flowers appear in 3 weeks and the fruits in just over a month (more than 1000 fruits per individual)
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Tribulus terrestris | Tribulus cistoides | |
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flowers (size) | small (< 2cm) | large (> 2cm) |
petals/ sepals | petals do not exceed sepals | petals exceed sepals |
leaflets (size) | small | large |
biology | annual | shortly perennial |
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Comoros: Absent.
Madagascar: Tribulus cistoides is a ruderal species and invasive weed in semi-arid areas of low altitude on alluvial soils or red sands still quite fertile.
Mauritius: Common species of dry areas of low altitude, especially in sandy soil, along the coast.
Mayotte: Tribulus cistoides is a native species that grows on the upper reaches of stabilised limestone beaches but also in uncultivated and degraded areas near the coast.
New Caledonia: It develops importantly on some coasts, and can develop in over-exploited pastures, preferably on light and sandy soils.
Reunion: This is a very common plant in Reunion, but mainly in the dry zone on the west coast and especially on roadsides and paths.
Seychelles: Ruderal species.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Toxicity
Tribulus cistoides is toxic, especially for sheep, causing accidents of photosensitization, liver, cutaneous, neuromuscular disorders.
Allelopathy
Tribulus cistoides also causes allelopathic phenomena that slow down the growth of seedlings of forage species.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Origin
Tribulus cistoides is native to East Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, South East Asia, Australia and New Caledonia.
Worldwide distribution
Introduced in Central and Northern South America. It is considered an invasive species on the southern coasts of America, in Hawaii, Mauritius, Madagascar and in the Northern Territories of Australia.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Local harmfulness
Comoros: Absent.
Madagascar: The frequency of Tribulus cistoides is relatively low at the regional level but may be locally abundant and impedes harvesting work of some crops such as groundnuts and cassava.
Mauritius: A weed of vegetable cultivation, its harmfulness is considered as low to medium.
New Caledonia: The important development of Tribulus cistoides on some coasts makes it an annoying species. In particular, it may develop in over-grazed pastures. Its thorns can cause injury to livestock and horses. This herbaceous plant is common, but is not a major weed in terms of pasture cover. However its toxicity and its aggressive fruits make it an undesirable species to control.
Reunion: This species is rare in cultures but may be locally abundant, reaching 30 to 50 % recovery. It mainly infects vegetable crops and sugar cane fields.
Seychelles: Species not present in cultivation.
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Global control
Biological control: Effective control of Tribulus cistoides by Microlarinus lypriformis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) has been reported in Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, the United States, St Kitts and elsewhere in the Caribbean, including the Bahamas and New Caledonia. Jamaica.
Local control
New Caledonia: Restoration of pastures by implantation of improved species may eliminate this usually annual weed but is complicated by repeated germination. Selective chemical treatment may be easier to implement on infested areas. Picloram and 2,4-D are effective active ingredients for use on young growing plants (see table for products and doses).
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Tribulus%2520cistoides
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Root | Root |
Kingdom | Plantae |
Phylum | Tracheophyta |
Class | Magnoliopsida |
Order | Zygophyllales |
Family | Zygophyllaceae |
Genus | Tribulus |
Species | Tribulus cistoides L. |