| Tribulus occidentalis | |
|---|---|
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| Fruit | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Zygophyllales |
| Family: | Zygophyllaceae |
| Genus: | Tribulus |
| Species: | T. occidentalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Tribulus occidentalis | |
Tribulus occidentalis, common name perennial caltrop, [1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Zygophyllaceae, which is native to Australia, and found in Western Australia, [1] Queensland, [2] South Australia [3] and the Northern Territory. [4] However, Robyn Barker asserts that it is confined to the west coast of Western Australia. [5]
It is a prostrate perennial herb, covered in long shaggy hairs and growing from 2 cm to 10 cm high. The leaves occur in pairs, and have leaflets in 7 - 10 pairs. The fruits have many spines, which are from 4 to 8 mm long. It grows on sandy soils and its yellow flowers can be seen from February to November. [1]
It was first described in 1849 by Robert Brown, from a specimen collected on the "west coast of Australia, or on some of its islands, in the Voyage of the Beagle." [6] [7] There are no synonyms. [8]
