Goat heads. What the hell, you ask?
Yeah, I know, weird. It's a plant. Also known as "puncture vine."
This innocent-looking ground cover inspires murderous loathing among New Mexican pedestrians, cyclists, and even drivers. Some people with dogs won't even walk barefoot on their own houses. I don't know why. Look at the ferny, sweet foliage. The demure yellow flower.
Oh, but .... what's this ... this horny looking thing? It doesn't look so sweet. It looks a little devilish.
That's the fruit of the plant? How odd. And these things below ... that will puncture a tire of a vehicle or bike? Or cause excruciating pain if you step on it? The fruit after it's dried.
Described as "thumbtack-like."
Here is an organization with the sole mission of eradicating this plant from the face of the earth. You can even buy the t-shirt.
The graphic is of two people who have just stepped on a dried goat head.
Descriptions of goat head encounters sound a little like horror movie trailers. Like this one:
Or this one: "... the most evil plant that has ever existed ... "
Or this one: "...They seem like a few stray, ground-hugging weeds overgrowing the middle of the trail. Nothing to worry about you think! You've jumped stumps higher than your helmet. You've descended rock-strewn cliffs that would scare a mountain goat. You are not afraid of mere weeds! You will be."
I thought I had walked by a goat head plant the other day on a walk, but the foliage and plant shape didn't fit the descriptions. Upon further investigation, I discovered my specimens were from the poisonous plant datura quercifolia, aka oak-leaf thorn apple or china thorn apple.
Yeah, I know, weird. It's a plant. Also known as "puncture vine."
This innocent-looking ground cover inspires murderous loathing among New Mexican pedestrians, cyclists, and even drivers. Some people with dogs won't even walk barefoot on their own houses. I don't know why. Look at the ferny, sweet foliage. The demure yellow flower.
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| Credit: Wikipedia |
Oh, but .... what's this ... this horny looking thing? It doesn't look so sweet. It looks a little devilish.
 |
| Credit: Wikipedia |
That's the fruit of the plant? How odd. And these things below ... that will puncture a tire of a vehicle or bike? Or cause excruciating pain if you step on it? The fruit after it's dried.
 |
| Credit: Wikipedia |
Described as "thumbtack-like."
Here is an organization with the sole mission of eradicating this plant from the face of the earth. You can even buy the t-shirt.
 |
| Credit: No Goatheads |
The graphic is of two people who have just stepped on a dried goat head.
Descriptions of goat head encounters sound a little like horror movie trailers. Like this one:
You've dealt with prickers before. You've dealt with burrs before. You've never dealt with anything like goatheads before. These things are vicious. They go through heavy duty tires with kevlar tube liners like they aren't even there. And you simply cannot avoid them. They're everywhere, and they're attracted to shoes, bicycle tires, and exposed flesh as though magnetized!
Or this one: "... the most evil plant that has ever existed ... "
Or this one: "...They seem like a few stray, ground-hugging weeds overgrowing the middle of the trail. Nothing to worry about you think! You've jumped stumps higher than your helmet. You've descended rock-strewn cliffs that would scare a mountain goat. You are not afraid of mere weeds! You will be."
I thought I had walked by a goat head plant the other day on a walk, but the foliage and plant shape didn't fit the descriptions. Upon further investigation, I discovered my specimens were from the poisonous plant datura quercifolia, aka oak-leaf thorn apple or china thorn apple.
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| datura quercifolia, Alamogordo, New Mexico |
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| datura quercifolia, Alamogordo, New Mexico |
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| datura quercifolia, Alamogordo, New Mexico |
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| datura quercifolia, Alamogordo, New Mexico |
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