COCKLEBURS

Once upon a time, I was a small child with a grey mutt of a dog named “Mr. Pickle” (Yes, I named him.  No, I don’t know why I named him THAT.)  One day, I was horrified to notice that Mr. Pickle had a problem.  I hollered for my Mother and exclaimed “Mommy!  Mommy!  Come quick and bring the bug spray!  Mr. Pickle has ickleburgers.”  Reviewing this, I realize that Mr. Pickle had COCKLEBURS which are neither susceptible to bug spray (as they are plants and not bugs) and are not an emergency.  The burs contain the plant’s seeds.  The bur is covered with hooked prickles (a scientific term!) which allow them to get stuck in animal hair and dispersed.  Mr. Pickle was not in mortal danger.  He was just dispersing a weed.

It has been many years since I thought cockleburs were life threatening and I have gloated over my knowledge of their dispersal ability.  BUT I only recently learned that cockleburs are an indicator of wetlands.  Cockleburs (Xanthium stumarium) are a classic indicator of damp sites and can be used to delineate the location of wetlands.  I was also surprised to learn that cockleburs are a member of the Asteracae family (sunflower family) and are not native to the Ozarks.  Instead, they are thought to be a native of Europe.  Curiously enough, cocklebur seedings (2-leaf stage) are relished by livestock and if eaten in sufficient amounts can cause death due to liver failure.  This is caused by carboxyactractyloside which shuts down the mitochondria of the cells.  Carboxyactractyloside is present in high amounts in the seedlings (2-leaf stage) and the burs.  Fatalities occur when 0.75%-3.0% of the body weight is eaten (eating the seedling and/or bur) (Cocklebur Toxicosis, Clinical Veterinary Advisor: The Horse, 2012).  Maybe I should have been concerned for Mr. Pickle’s safety after all!