Text: Vientiane hardcore

Edited by Vientiane Hardcore

«——【·Preface·】——»

2017年3月29日，中國青年網報導，杭州海關在對一批從英國進口來的洗凈羊毛進行檢查的時候，從中發現了夾雜著的一種雜草。

This weed is covered with small thorns, and many people can call its name when they see it, and there are many childhood memories about it in their minds.

After sending the "Xanthus" for testing, the identification results were obtained, which is a plant called Xanthus, which is also the first time that this plant has been intercepted in Hangzhou.

At first glance, this plant looks very similar to Xanthella fungus, and is covered with small thorns that "hook people", and often sticks to sheep and other livestock, so it is more common in imported wool.

However, the thorn fungus has been identified as a pest, and it is also the object of key inspection in the imported goods, so is there any difference between the stinging fungus and the stinging fungus?

«——【·蒼耳·】——»

Many people have experienced the fear of being dominated by Xanthium when they were children, and people must get a few on their bodies when they pass through the grass and take on the responsibility of helping them spread their seeds.

Xanthus is an upright herbaceous plant, generally between 120 and 0 cm in height, the plant is relatively stout, and the whole plant is covered with fine hairs, showing green or yellow-green.

The fruit of Xanthus is a hooked capsule that is yellowish-brown when ripe and covered with small barbed spines, which easily attach to animal fur or human clothing to spread seeds.

In the childhood memories of many rural children, Xanthella is a very special plant, which is not only a "weed" that can be seen everywhere in the field, but also a "toy" in childhood.

Because of the barbed spines on the surface of the fruit, children often use it to throw at each other, stick to their clothes, play games of "fighting", and sometimes use it to secretly paint on the backs of their classmates sitting at the front table.

Some children use Xanthus fruit to make all sorts of simple handicrafts, such as small sculptures in the shape of animals.

But for farmers, Xanthus is often a nuisance weed, and once its seeds fall, it will multiply in large numbers in the following year, affecting crop growth, and farmers need to constantly remove it.

Moreover, its fruit Xanthus is not only prickly, but also does not taste good, so few animals eat this grass, and they do not rely on animal feces to spread their seeds, but mainly by attaching themselves to people or other creatures to spread their seeds.

Although Xanthella is a noxious weed in agriculture, its fruit, Xanthium fungus, has certain medicinal value in traditional Chinese medicine.

«——【·刺蒼耳·】——»

Xanthella spinosa and Xanthium are the same genus, both belong to the genus Asteraceae, are annual herbaceous plants, the two have some similarities in morphology, but there are also obvious differences.

The stem of Xanthella is erect, slightly purplish-red, smooth or finely hairy, and its fruit also has barbed spines, but it is slightly smaller and shorter than the fruit of Xanthus.

The most striking feature of the "thorn" is the acanthium, which has three hard thorns in the leaf axils, each of which is about 3 to 0 cm long, which is very hard, which is also the origin of its name.

Xanthella and Xanthella spinosa are drought-tolerant plants, with strong adaptability to the environment, vigorous growth and strong fecundity, and are commonly found in fields, roadsides, river banks and abandoned land.

Xanthus is widely distributed throughout China, especially in the Yangtze River basin and areas north of it, such as Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui and other provinces.

It prefers warm, moist environments, but is also drought tolerant, and grows on heathlands, roadsides, agricultural edges, and river flats.

Native to South America, Xanthus has been widely distributed in many parts of the world with human activities and trade to many countries around the world.

The seeds of Xanthus may be mixed into imported agricultural products, forage seeds, or cargo packaging, and as trade transports into China, the fruit has barbed spines that easily attach to the fur of livestock and spread to new areas with the pasture trade or animal migration.

我國第一次發現刺蒼耳的入侵蹤跡是在1974年，在北京豐台區一個榨油廠附近的垃圾堆里，自這之後，它就開始頻繁出現在我國的多個地區。

In China, Xanthus spinosa is mainly distributed in the Northeast, North China, Northwest and the Yangtze River Basin, and grows mainly in farmland, grasslands, riverbanks and highways, especially in arid and barren soils.

«【The Dangers of Thorny Ears·】»

Xanthus spinosa is a very aggressive invasive alien plant, which has had a serious impact on China's agricultural ecological environment.

There is a great overlap between it and the growth environment of Xanthella, and the crazy spread of Xanthella has also had a great impact on Xanthella, encroaching on the living environment of Xanthella.

Xanthus is extremely strong and can quickly occupy space to compete with native plants for water, sunlight and soil nutrients.

Once an ecosystem is invaded, it can often form a dominant population in a short period of time, inhibiting the growth of native plants, leading to a decline in plant diversity and destroying the ecological balance.

It is often found in farmland, ridges and irrigation canals, competing with crops for water, light and nutrients, resulting in stunted growth and reduced yields.

In particular, crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat grown in drylands have been infestation by Xanthus fungus, and the yield has been reduced even more seriously, bringing economic losses to farmers.

The whole plant is poisonous, the fruit is the most toxic, followed by the young leaves, people or livestock may be poisoned after ingestion, resulting in indigestion and even death.

Because of its barbled spines, easy dispersal and long lifespan, its seeds also have a long dormancy period and may continue to grow many years after ploughing, posing challenges to farmland management.

Xanthella and Xanthella stinging belong to the genus Xanthium, but they differ in morphology, growth environment and ecological impact.

Xanthus is a native plant, although it has a certain harm to farmland, but it also has special memories in rural childhood life, and Xanthus aerium, as an invasive species, poses a greater threat to the ecological environment and agricultural production.

Due to its strong reproductive ability and tenacious survival adaptability, once it invades a certain area, it is often difficult to completely eradicate it, and it is still necessary to strengthen the prevention and control and management of Xanthella stinger to reduce its damage to the ecosystem.

Reference:

Guangming Network "A Kind of "False Cang'er" Invaded China - Thorn Cang'er", 10-0-0

China Youth Network, "Hangzhou Intercepts Alien Quarantine Pest for the First Time in Hangzhou", 29-0-0

貴州綜合廣播《野性貴州 有問必答丨它的果實渾身長刺愛粘人，讓人又愛又恨咋回事？》，6-0-0

Hunan Daily, "Huxiang Natural Calendar丨Vigilance against "Invasion Killers" (6) Thorns, Riding Sheep Across the Sea", 3-0-0