Zygophyllaceae

Puncturevine

Tribulus terrestris L.

Family: Zygophyllaceae
Genus: Tribulus

Pets and kids

CatsNot sure
DogsNot sure
KidsNot sure

Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for young children, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with a doctor or poison control.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

Puncturevine: Tribulus terrestris (flower). Location: Maui, Kahului — Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (65)

Afrikaans: Duwweltjie
Arabic: حسك أرضي, دقن الشيخ, شقشق, ضرس العجوز
Armenian: Տատաշ գետնատարած
arz: حسك ارضى
azb: یاتاغان دمیرتیکان
Azerbaijani: Yatağan dəmirtikan
Bangla: গোক্ষুর
Bulgarian: Бабини зъби, Баби зъби
Cantonese: 蒺藜
Catalan: Tríbol
Chinese: 蒺藜, 刺蒺藜, 茨黎苗, 蒺藜根, 蒺藜花
Corsican: Trivulu
Croatian: Zemaljski babin zub, Žuti babin zub
Czech: Kotvičník zemní
Divehi: ކަށި ގޯނބިލި
Dutch: Kleine waternoot
English: Puncturevine, Goathead, Mexican sandbur, Tackweed, Texas sandbur, Devil's thorn, Goat head, Goat's head
Esperanto: Tribuluso
Finnish: Okarennokki
French: Tribule terrestre, Croix-de-Malte
Galician: Abrollo
Georgian: Კუროსთავი
German: Erd-Burzeldorn, Erdsternchen, Gokshura
Gujarati: ગોખરુ
Hebrew: קוטב מצוי, קטב מצוי
Hindi: गोखरू
Hungarian: Királydinnye
Japanese: ハマビシ, シツリシ, トリビュラス・テレストリス, 疾黎子, 蒺藜子
kab: Tamɣast
kai: Agùram
Kannada: ನೆಗ್ಗಿಲು
Kinyarwanda: Ubuhandanzovu
Korean: 남가새
lah: بھکھڑا
Latvian: Tribulis
Lithuanian: Gulsčioji ragužė
lzh: 蒺藜
Macedonian: Бабин заб, Обичен бабин заб
Malayalam: ചെറിയ ഞെരിഞ്ഞിൽ, ഞെരിഞിൽ, ഞെരിഞ്ഞിൽ
Marathi: गोखरू, उलथने, गोखरु, सराटा
mnc: ᠨᡳᠩᡤᡳᠶᠠ ᠪᡠᠯᠠ
Norwegian Bokmål: Tiggernøtt
Norwegian Nynorsk: Tiggarnøtt
nv: Shash nátʼoh, Béégashii bitsiitsʼiiin
Persian: خارخسک
Polish: Buzdyganek naziemny
Punjabi: ਗੋਖਰੂ, ਭੱਖੜਾ
Romanian: Colții babei
Russian: Якорцы стелющиеся, Якорцы наземные
Sanskrit: गोकुरासस्यम्
Serbian: Babin zub, Бабин зуб
Shona: Isihobo
Sinhala: නෙරෙංචි
Slovak: Kotvičník zemný
Slovenian: Navadna zobačica
Spanish: Abrepies, Abrul, Burra gokhroo, Cairel, Cairell, Cuerno del diablo, Cuernos de chivo, Gokshura
Swahili: Mbigili
Swedish: Tiggarnöt
Tajik: Муғелон
Tamil: நெருஞ்சி
Thai: โคกกระสุน
Turkish: Çobançökerten
Ukrainian: Якірці сланкі
Vietnamese: Bạch tật lê
wuu: 蒺藜

Synonyms

Hedysarum uniflorum Lapeyr.

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Lifespan: Annual
In the US and Canada: Canada: introduced, Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Pacific Basin: introduced

Photos

Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Thamizhpparithi Maari, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Samsule2, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Tribulus

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.