Fabaceae
Prickly scorpion's-tail
Scorpiurus muricatus
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Genus
- Scorpiurus
Pet and kid safety: not checked yet. Check pet-safe plants

Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free
Common names
By language (13)
- Arabic
- ذنب العقرب الشائك
- Croatian
- Vlasnatodlakavi crveni mač
- Czech
- Štírovka měkkoostenná
- English
- Prickly scorpion's-tail, Prickly caterpillar
- German
- Stacheliger Skorpionsschwanz
- Hebrew
- זנב-עקרב שיכני
- kab
- Tagrit
- Persian
- دم عقربی
- Slovenian
- Navadna škorpijonka
- Spanish
- Cagarria, Granillo oveja, Hierba del alacran, Hierba del alacrán, Hierba del escorpion, Hierba del escorpión, Orejicas de liebre, Oruga erisada
- Swedish
- Skorpionärt
- Ukrainian
- Личинник колючий
- Welsh
- Ffacbysen arw
Synonyms
- Scorpioides elegans Bubani
- Scorpioides muricata (L.) Medik.
- Scorpioides sulcata (L.) Medik.
- Scorpiurus acutifolius Viv.
- Scorpiurus echinata Lam.
- Scorpiurus echinatus Lam.
- Scorpiurus echinatus prol. subvillosus (L.) Samp.
- Scorpiurus echinatus var. laevigatus Samp.
- Scorpiurus echinatus var. muricatus (L.) Samp.
- Scorpiurus echinatus var. subvillosus (L.) Brot.
- Scorpiurus echinatus var. subvillosus Brot.
- Scorpiurus echinatus var. sulcatus (L.) Brot.
- Scorpiurus laevigata Sm.
- Scorpiurus laevigatus Sm.
- Scorpiurus laevigatus var. glaberrimus Maire
- Scorpiurus laevigatus var. papillosus Maire
- Scorpiurus margaritae P.Palau
- Scorpiurus minimus Losinsk.
- Scorpiurus muricatus subsp. laevigatus (Sm.) Thell.
- Scorpiurus muricatus subsp. subvillosus (L.) Thell.
- Scorpiurus muricatus subsp. sulcatus (L.) Thell.
- Scorpiurus muricatus subvar. eriocarpus (Godr.) Thell.
- Scorpiurus muricatus var. acutifolius (Viv.) Kuntze
- Scorpiurus muricatus var. breviaculeatus (Batt.) Thell.
- Scorpiurus muricatus var. eriocarpus (Godr.) Briq.
- Scorpiurus muricatus var. laevigatus (Sm.) Boiss.
- Scorpiurus muricatus var. margaritae (P.Palau) E.Domínguez & E.F.Galiano
- Scorpiurus muricatus var. subvillosus (L.) Fiori
- Scorpiurus muricatus var. subvillosus (L.) Lam.
- Scorpiurus muricatus var. sulcatus (L.) Fiori
- Scorpiurus oliveri P.Palau
- Scorpiurus subvillosa L.
- Scorpiurus subvillosus L.
- Scorpiurus subvillosus subsp. sulcatus (L.) Hayek
- Scorpiurus subvillosus subsp. sulcatus (L.) Bonnier
- Scorpiurus subvillosus subvar. eriocarpus (Godr.) Rouy
- Scorpiurus subvillosus subvar. eriocarpus Rouy
- Scorpiurus subvillosus var. acutifolius (Viv.) Burnat
- Scorpiurus subvillosus var. angustifolius Pau
- Scorpiurus subvillosus var. breviaculeatus Batt.
and 13 more.
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Annual
- In the US and Canada
- Lower 48 states: introduced
Photos

Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Roslinymat, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Roslinymat, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Katharine Khamhaengwong, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Scorpiurus
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.