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:

o   Western Sticktights: 

§  Native species has fruit with single row of spines around margins of fruit

§  common in western Midwest prairies

o   European sticktights: 

§  European species with fruit with 2-3 rows of spines around margins

§  More common in northern Midwest

o   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