Asteraceae
Acanthospermum

Acanthospermum hispidum DC.

First published in Prodr. 5: 522 (1836)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tropical America. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as animal food and a medicine and for food.

Descriptions

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
abrojo, cacharro, cachito de cabro, cachoecabro, cizaña, espuela de caballero, espuela de caballo, guajirilla, pecado mortal, pecao mortal, yerba del pecado mortal
[UNAL]

Compositae, H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2005

Morphology General Habit
Annual herb, 0.3–1.3 m high, erect; stem branching regularly and dichotomously, hispid.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves oblong or obovate, 1–12 cm long, 0.5–8 cm wide, base cuneate, margins subentire to coarsely dentate, apex obtuse to acute, hispid and gland-dotted on both surfaces; petiole absent or short.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula sessile in leaf axils or at the branching point of stems, enlarging in fruit; involucre ± 7 mm long; phyllaries ciliate, the inner with soft spiny processes enlarging in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Ray florets pale yellow, elliptic, 1.5–2 mm long; disc florets darker yellow, 1.5–2.5 mm long, glandular-puberulous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes enclosed in the enlarged inner phyllaries, the whole 5–6 mm long with two 4–5 mm long hooked spines at the apex, shorter hooked spines all over fruit.
Figures
Fig. 165 (page 767).
Habitat
eed of cultivation, ruderal sites; 0–1700 m
Distribution
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 originally from South America but now a pantropical weed
[FTEA]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Erect annual herb to 60 cm high; branches dichotomous, with long hairs and minute glands
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite, sessile, triangular-ovate to elliptic, 2–12´1–8 cm, the base connate with that of the opposite leaf
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Capitula solitary and axillary; florets yellow, rays 1.5 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Disseminules (achenes with hardened involucre) 9 mm long, spiny, the two apical spines longer than the rest.
Distribution
S2 pantropical weed.
Ecology
Altitude range: near sea level.
Note
The single collection from Somalia, Raimondo s.n. has not been seen, but was cited in Webbia 35: 207–222 (1981).
[FSOM]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 350–2070 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Huila, La Guajira, Nariño, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Compositae, C. D. Adams. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit
A bushy annual weed about 12-18 in. high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Small sessile flower-heads
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Florets pale greenish-yellow
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes 5-10, spreading widely in fruit.
[FWTA]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 350 - 2070 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
Bristly starbur, Upright starbur

Sources

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0