Plants Poisonous to Livestock
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Cocklebur
(Xanthium strumarium)
Cocklebur is an annual plant reproducing only by seeds. The root is a taproot,
woody and stout. Stems are hairy, rough to the touch, erect and reach two to
four feet tall. Stems are branched and frequently spotted with red. Leaves are
alternate and attached to stems by long stems, are simple and vary from
heart-shaped to kidney-shaped. The leaf surface is hairy and rough to the touch.
Flowers are small and green, borne together in clusters in the axils of the
upper leaves. Fruit is a two-seeded bur which is hard, woody and covered with
hooked spines. Cocklebur seedlings have long, narrow cotyledons which taper to a
point at the tip. Seedlings tend to be triple veined at the base, reach a length
of about three inches, are sessile and covered with rough hairs. The first
leaves are opposite, triple veined at the base, with prominent veins and are
covered with rough hairs. Later emerging leaves are alternate.
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