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Goathead thorn
Tribulus terrestris has many common names, including puncturevine, caltrop, cat's head, yellow vine, goathead, devil's thorn, devil's weed, devil's eyelashes, burra gokharu and bindii. One little goathead plant can produce up to 5,000 seeds a year. The seeds persist in the soil for as long as 20 years, making it very hard to completely eliminate it. It has been reported that the seeds have been used in homicidal weapons in southern Africa; murderers smear them with the poisonous juice of Acokanthera venenata and put them where victims are likely to step. T. terrestris is now being promoted as a booster for the purpose of increasing sex drive. The extract is claimed to increase the body's natural testosterone levels and thereby improve male sexual performance and help build muscle. [ You mean this evil plant is a cheep form of Viagra? Maybe I should eat the ones I step on! ] The goatheads are also hell on bicycle tires. When I was a kid riding a bike there was no such product as stop leak or if there was we had never heard of it. But there was a common grocery store item that worked well called "Eagle Brand Milk" that was a syruppy liquid we could put into the bike tires. It would fill the holes we picked up from the grass burrs and would at least get us home if we run over the gotdam goat heads. I hate goathead thorns. When I step on them they are painful as hell. Plus they give my bike flat tires all the time. The only way to prevent bike flats is to put some of that tire slime in your tube. |