Martyniaceae

Desert unicorn-plant

Proboscidea althaeifolia (Benth.) Decne.

Family: Martyniaceae
Genus: Proboscidea

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Desert unicorn-plant: The flower and seed pod of the Devil's Claw plant, also known as the Desert Unicorn Plant, and here on San Pedrito Beach in Baja California as Espuela del Diabl — Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (2)

English: Desert unicorn-plant
Indonesian: Cakar setan

Synonyms

Martynia althaeifolia Benth.
Martynia arenaria Engelm.
Proboscidea arenaria (Engelm.) Decne.
Proboscidea peruviana Van Eselt.

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: native

Photos

Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: ALAN SCHMIERER, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Patrick Alexander from Las Cruces, NM, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Proboscidea

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.