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Xanthium speciosum

Comprehensive Description

provided by North American Flora
Xanthium speciosum Kearney, Bull. Torrey Club 21: 574
1897.
Xanthium bubalocarpon Bush, Rep. Missouri Bot. Gard. 17: 123. 1906.
Stem erect, robust, branched, at the base finally 2.5 cm. thick, more or less (below obtusely and above acutely) quadrangulate, papillose-scabrous especially above, the upper part purplepunctate with small linear spots, 1-1.5 m. high; leaves 1-3.5 dm. long including the petioles; petioles almost equaling the blades; blades broadly triangular-ovate, obtusely and shallowly 3-5-lobed, dentate, thickish, cordate at the base, scabrous (often with small papillae) on both sides; fruits very large, ovoid or conic; bodies ovate-cylindric, scarcely visible among the numerous prickles, glandular-pubescent, finally about 2-2.3 mm. long and 7-8 mm. thick; beaks attentuate, hispid, incurved or almost straight, hooked at the apex, 6-11 mm. long; prickles crowded, rather slender, the lower half or two thirds hispid, smooth toward the hooked apex, commonly 7-9 mm. long; entire fruit (prickles and beaks included) finally 3-4 cm. long and 2-2.5 (-3) cm. wide. Type locality: Between Paint Rock and Del Rio, along French Broad River, Cocke County, Tennessee.
Distribution: Tennessee to South Dakota and Texas; adventive in Maine and Vermont.
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bibliographic citation
Per Axel, Rydberg. 1922. CARDUALES; AMBROSIACEAE, CARDUACEAE. North American flora. vol 33(1). New York Botanical Garden, New York, NY
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