Family: Caltrop (Zygophyllaceae)

Description: Prostrate, herbaceous perennial with stems that radiate outward from the rootstock. The opposite, compound leaves are evenly pinnate with 5-10 pairs of softly hairy, ellptical leaflets from 3/16 to 1/2 inch long and 1/4 to 5/16 inch wide. Yellow, 5-petaled flowers are about 1 inch wide . The 5/8 inchwide fruit are hard and armed with 4 stout, 1/4 inch spines.

Blooms: All year

Found: Sany soils beaches and disturbed sites of the southeastern United States and tropical America. Native to the Old World.

Note: A caltop is a military device with 4 iron spikes used around battlefileds to keep the enemies at bay. The name cistoides alludes to the similarity of the flowers to rockroses in the genus Cistus. The spiny fruit can puncture fee, sandals, and bicycle tires.