Cocklebur

Description:

Bushy, annual weed 1-6 ft. Stem and leaves rough. Inconspicuous flowers followed by oblong bur about an inch long, covered in hooked barbs.

Habitat:

Moist meadow near Lake Lewisville, Tx.

Notes:

The two seeds in a cocklebur are covered by airtight coats. Because the seeds need oxygen to germinate, they remain dormant until these coats begin to wear away. One seed invariably needs more oxygen than the other, so it remains dormant a year longer. Each bur produces two generations - one reason they are so hard to eradicate.