Selected Plants of Navajo Rangelands
Puncturevine
Ch’ilhoshíǫ Naakaibihosh
(a.k.a. Goathead)
Puncturevine (also called goathead), an introduced, invasive plant, is sensitive to competition and will be outcompeted by native species except on repeatedly disturbed areas.
The foliage of this plant is toxic, and grazing animals may eat burs, which cause injuries to the mouth, stomach, and intestines. Ants seem to congregate under the plants, particularly near stem emergence.
The burs are painful to hands or feet of humans and can penetrate shoes or bicycle tires. Clear clothing, shoes, and tires of burs to avoid spreading the plant to new locations.
Stems form a dense mat with small yellow flowers on short stalks. Puncturevine reproduces by seed, so controlling plants prior to seeding is important.
Copyright 2018 New Mexico State University. Individual photographers retain all rights to their images. Partially funded by the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (westernsare.org; 435.797.2257), project EW15-023. Programs and projects supported by Western SARE are equally open to all people. NMSU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action educator and employer.
NMSU does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, retaliation, serious medical condition, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, spousal affiliation or protected veteran status in its programs and activities as required by equal opportunity/affirmative action regulations and laws and university policy and rules. For more information please read the NMSU Notice of Non-discrimination.