Tribulus cistoides

Tribulus cistoides L.

Common Names: Fever Plant, Puncture Vine

Family: Zygophyllaceae

Habit: Tribulus cistoides grows as a procumbent perennial herb to subshrub up to spreading to 50 cm. the stems slightly pubescent. The pinnately compound leaves are arranged oppositely, to 8 cm with 5-10 pairs of leaflets. Leaflets oblong to elliptic to oblong, to 2 cm long with an entire leaf margin, an acute/obtuse leaf apex and are abaxially pubescent.

The complete, perfect, actinomorphic flowers are solitary arising from nodes. The calyx has 5 unfused greenish sepals. The corolla has 5 unfused yellow petals.  There are 10 stamens.  The pubescent ovary is superior with 5 locules and numerous seeds. At the base of the over is a 5 lobed nectary gland. The fruit is a hard capsule covered with spines.

Habitat: Tribulus cistoides grows in Human Altered environments (yards, abandoned fields, roadsides).

Distribution: Tribulus cistoides is NOT native to the Lucayan Archipelago.  It is originally from East Africa, southeast Asia and Australia but is now a weed throughout the western hemisphere tropics and subtropics.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Tribulus cistoides is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.