European Sticktight

European Sticktight

Lappula squarrosa (Retz.) Dumort.

Boraginaceae ( Borage Family)

▲ mature flowering plants

flowers and fruit ▲

▲ ▼ flowers

Sticktights, Stickseeds:

Summer annuals in the Boraginaceae (Borage) family with slender, branched stems growing 6-24+ inches tall
Leaves often lanceolate, hairy
Flowers tiny, bluish-white in terminal cymes, followed by oval-rounded fruit with rings of little hook-like spines on them
Several species:
- Western Sticktights:
  - Native species has fruit with single row of spines around margins of fruit
  - common in western Midwest prairies
- European sticktights:
  - European species with fruit with 2-3 rows of spines around margins
  - More common in northern Midwest
- Hackelia:
  - Native species with cup-like ring of spines around fruit margins
  - Taller growing and shade tolerant; found in tall grass areas, riparian areas, open forests