How does the cocklebur mother spread its seeds? A detailed explanation of cocklebur's dispersal methods

Cocklebur is an annual herbaceous plant. Its seeds can be pressed for oil. Cocklebur seed oil has properties similar to tung oil and can be blended with tung oil to make paint. It can also be used as a raw material for ink, soap and linoleum, and can be made into hardened oil and lubricating oil. Its fruit is used medicinally. So, how does the cocklebur mother spread its seeds?

1. How does the cocklebur mother spread its seeds

Cocklebur spreads its seeds by animals. The involucre of this plant has hooked hard spines that often cling to livestock and the human body, so it is easily dispersed. It is widely distributed across the provinces and regions of Northeast, North, East, Central, South, Northwest and Southwest China.

2. Main varieties of cocklebur

Nearly spineless cocklebur: the stem is rather short and usually branches from the base; the mature involucre bearing the achene is smaller, narrowed at the base, and usually has one longer beak at the upper end plus one shorter lateral beak, the two beaks being separate from each other or joined, sometimes the short lateral beak degenerating into a spine-like form or absent, and the outside of the involucre having very sparse spines or almost none, making it easy to distinguish from cocklebur. It often grows on open arid hillsides, saline-alkali land at the edges of dry fields, dried-up riverbeds and roadsides. It is distributed in the provinces of Jilin, Hubei, Shanxi, Henan, Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Xinjiang and others in China.

3. Propagation methods of cocklebur

Cocklebur seeds are not demanding; simply clean the seeds and air-dry them before sowing. If they need to be stored for a period, the seeds can be placed in damp sand for storage, though the germination rate of the seeds will gradually decline as a result. The storage time should not be too long, as this is not only unfavorable for germination but also results in uneven emergence. Cocklebur is generally sown and raised as seedlings around the Mid-Autumn Festival each year. Before sowing, prepare the seedling bed and dig the seedling furrows. Then place the seeds into the seedling furrows, apply sufficient base fertilizer, cover well with plastic film, and uncover it when the emergence rate reaches about 80%. About 15 days after emergence, topdress and water promptly, and carry out field management well. When the seedlings grow to about 65 cm, they can be transplanted and established.