''Tribulus'' is a genus of plants in the family

Zygophyllaceae Zygophyllaceae is a family of flowering plants that contains the bean-caper and caltrop. The family includes around 285 species in 22 genera. Plants in the family Zygophyllaceae may be trees, shrubs, or herbs. They are often found in dry habit ...

and found in diverse climates and soils worldwide from

latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north ...

s 35°S to 47°N. The best-known member is '' T. terrestris'' (puncture vine), a widespread

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...

and weed. ''Tribulus'' species are

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widel ...

, but some grow as annuals in colder climates. The

leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

are opposite and compound. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanis ...

s are perfect (hermaphroditic) and insect-pollinated, with fivefold symmetry. The ovary is divided into

locule A locule (plural locules) or loculus (plural loculi) (meaning "little place" in Latin) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usu ...

s that are in turn divided by "false septa" (the latter distinguish ''Tribulus'' from other members of its family). Some species are cultivated as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

s in warm regions. Some, notably '' T. cistoides'', '' T. longipetalus'', '' T. terrestris,'' and '' T. zeyheri'', are considered

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...

s. '' Tribulus omanense'' is the national flower of Dubai. Thirteen species of ''Tribulus'' are accepted by

The Plant List The Plant List was a list of botanical names of species of plants created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Missouri Botanical Garden and launched in 2010. It was intended to be a comprehensive record of all known names of plant species ...

, but there are many names still unresolved and needing further study.

List of accepted species

Devil's thorn flower (Tribulus zeyheri), Kalahari

(According to Plants of the world online) #'' Tribulus adelacanthus'' R.M.Barker #'' Tribulus arabicus'' Hosni #'' Tribulus astrocarpus''

F.Muell. Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Victo ...

#'' Tribulus bimucronatus'' Viv. #''

Tribulus cistoides ''Tribulus cistoides'', also called wanglo (in Aruba), the Jamaican feverplant or puncture vine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Zygophyllaceae Zygophyllaceae is a family of flowering plants that contains the bean-caper and ca ...

'' L. #'' Tribulus cristatus'' C.Presl #'' Tribulus echinops'' Kers #'' Tribulus eichlerianus'' K.L.Wilson #'' Tribulus excrucians'' Wawra #'' Tribulus forrestii''

#'' Tribulus hirsutus''

Benth. George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studie ...

#'' Tribulus hystrix'' R.Br. #'' Tribulus incanus'' Hosni #'' Tribulus kaiseri'' Hosni #'' Tribulus macrocarpus''

#'' Tribulus macropterus'' Boiss. #'' Tribulus megistopterus'' Kralik #'' Tribulus micrococcus''

Domin Karel Domin (4 May 1882, Kutná Hora, Kingdom of Bohemia – 10 June 1953, Prague) was a Czech botanist and politician. After gymnasium school studies in Příbram, he studied botany at the Charles University in Prague, and graduated in 19 ...

#'' Tribulus minutus'' Leichh. ex

#'' Tribulus mollis''

Ehrenb. Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg (19 April 1795 – 27 June 1876) was a German naturalist, zoologist, comparative anatomist, geologist, and microscopist. Ehrenberg was an evangelist and was considered to be of the most famous and productive scie ...

ex Schweinf. #'' Tribulus occidentalis'' R.Br. #'' Tribulus omanense'' Hosni #'' Tribulus parvispinus'' C.Presl #'' Tribulus pentandrus'' Forssk. #'' Tribulus platypterus''

#'' Tribulus ranunculiflorus''

#'' Tribulus securidocarpus'' Engl. #'' Tribulus spurius'' Kralik #'' Tribulus suberosus'' H.Eichler ex R.M.Barker #'' Tribulus subramanyamii'' P.Singh, G.S.Giri & V.Singh #''

Tribulus terrestris ''Tribulus terrestris'' is an annual plant in the caltrop family (Zygophyllaceae) widely distributed around the world. It is adapted to thrive in dry climate locations in which few other plants can survive. It is native to warm temperate and t ...

'' L. #'' Tribulus zeyheri'' Sond.

Uses

''T. terrestris'' has been cultivated to inhibit

soil erosion Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the upper layer of soil. It is a form of soil degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, air (wind), plants, a ...

and to improve soil moisture, texture, and water-holding capability in

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

s and barren lands. Although ''T. terrestris''

extract An extract is a substance made by extracting a part of a raw material, often by using a solvent such as ethanol, oil or water. Extracts may be sold as tinctures, absolutes or in powder form. The aromatic principles of many spices, nuts ...

s have been used in

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

and as a

dietary supplement A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement one's diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or that are synthetic in order ...

for

bodybuilders Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's muscles (muscle building) by muscle hypertrophy for aesthetic purposes. It is distinct from similar activities such as powerlifting because it focuses o ...

, there is no high-quality clinical evidence that it is effective or safe for these purposes.

References

External links

''Tribulus''
in BoDD – Botanical Dermatology Database

from ''The Families of Flowering Plants'', L. Watson and M. J. Dallwitz {{authority control Rosid genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Plants described in 1753