Asteraceae

Xanthium occidentale

Common Names: Burr - Noogoora burr

Plant Form: Annual herb. Size: Up to 2 m tall. Stem: Not spiny, hairy. Leaves: Mostly heart-shaped to triangular in outline, weakly lobed, irregularly toothed edges, up to 15 cm long. On long stalks. Flowers: Inconspicuous, clustered, whitish to greenish flowerheads. Fruit and Seeds: Burrs up to 18 mm long, hairy, with many hooked spines on surface and two equally long, straight beaks at the end. Habitat: Riparian areas, creek beds, urban bushland. Distinguishing Features: Differs from Bathurst burr (Xanthium spinosum) in not having spines on the stem. Is sometimes considered to be part of Noogoora Burr (X. strumarium).