Common Name:

General Information

Tribulus cistoides is a herbaceous, annual to short-lived perennial plant with branched stems around 50 - 180cm long that are usually prostrate[].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. A showy and rather handsome plant with large, golden flowers[], it can be used as a ground cover[]..

Known Hazards

The plants produce sharply spined fruits that can cause injury to the feet of humans and other animals[].

Botanical References

Range

Possibly originally from tropical America or east Africa, now widely naturalized through the tropics, especially near the coast.

Habitat

Dry or moist fields or banks, often along roadsides or on railroad embankments, at elevations up to 450 metres in Guatemala[]. Sandy beaches and coastal dunes, locally often gregarious, in Malaysia[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	0.90 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a position in full sun, though it tolerates partial shade[]. It requires a well-drained soil[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[]. Tolerates maritime exposure[].
Originally native to the Americas, the plant has spread through most of the tropics and subtropics, especially in coastal areas[]. The fruit is dispersed by adhering to the feet of animals and humans or vehicle and bicycle tyres. It also sticks to sheep wool and is often found in hay, straw and manure[].
The plant is relatively unharmed by rabbit grazing[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - cooked and eaten as a vegetable[].

Medicinal

The plant is used to treat colds, malaria and infections of the kidney and bladder[].

A decoction of the roots is given to children to relieve toothache[].


The leaves and roots are pounded and used as a poultice to treat sores, ulcers and abscesses[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A beautiful and graceful groundcover, but the plant is also armed with some of the most aggressively spiney seedpods existing in the natural world![[]. Quite honestly, it may not be the plant to have as a groundcover if you have pets, children or walk bare foot, or even with slippers, in the yard. However, for a natural shoreline landscape, this is a beautiful addition and a conversation plant[]. The plant could also serve as a natural barrier, discouraging creatures from walking across it[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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