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HerbWildAnnualMedicinal

Xanthium strumarium L.

Leedha
Synonyms: Xanthium canadense Mill.; Xanthium chinense Mill. (treated as synonyms in modern taxonomic treatments)

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Description

Xanthium strumarium is an erect annual herb, usually 30–150 cm tall, with a stout, rough, branched stem. Leaves are alternate, broadly ovate to triangular, three-lobed or shallowly lobed, rough on both surfaces, and borne on long petioles. The species is monoecious, producing separate male and female flower heads on the same plant. Male heads are small and terminal, while female heads occur in the leaf axils. The fruit is a hard, ovoid bur densely covered with hooked spines and ending in two stout beaks, enclosing two seeds.

Diagnostic Characters

Vegetative
Rough, branched stems with broadly triangular, rough-textured leaves.
Floral
Separate male and female flower heads on the same plant.
Fruit & Seed
Distinctive spiny burs with two terminal beaks that readily attach to animals and clothing.

Distribution

Native range: Native to the Americas (exact origin uncertain due to its long history of dispersal).

Introduced range: Widely naturalized throughout temperate and tropical regions worldwide.

In Pakistan: Common throughout Pakistan.

Phenology

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Flowering
Fruiting
Flowering: July–October Fruiting: August–November

Ethnobotany & Uses

Medicinal Uses
Traditionally used for treating skin diseases, rheumatism, headaches, fever, and inflammatory disorders.
Other Uses
Young plants are occasionally used as fodder after proper management.
Agricultural Importance
A troublesome weed in many crops, and its spiny burs contaminate wool, cotton, and animal fur.
Toxicity
Seeds and young seedlings contain toxic compounds and may poison livestock if consumed in large quantities.
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Where it grows on campus

This species is on the campus floristic list but was not pinned during the GPS mapping survey, so it has no map records yet.

Taxonomic Notes

Xanthium strumarium, commonly known as Common Cocklebur, is easily recognized by its rough triangular leaves and characteristic hooked burs with two terminal beaks. These burs are adapted for dispersal by animals (epizoochory). The species is accepted by Flora of Pakistan, Plants of the World Online (POWO), and World Flora Online (WFO).