Wicked stickers...what is it?

This popped up in a pot that I planted some Hawaiian Wood rose in. It's hard to see in the photos but even the leaves have spines on top. What do you suppose this nasty little plant is?

No idea but its cool looking.

Well, it's NOT a woodrose...;-)

It is a nightshade, Solanum rostratum, Bufalobur nightshade. Probably a present from a little birdie.... Pretty cool looking, had one pop up at my old house. If you happen to get some seeds.....


Susie

It looks like it belongs to The Little Shop of Horrors. lol

Wow, thanks Susie. When it first popped up with those leaves I thought maybe a melon or veggie of some sort. It just looks angry : O

It will seem even angrier if you get any of the spines in your fingers...

Might be a good plant to have around to ward off critters.

So will the blossoms set any kind of fruit or do you wind up with more stickers?

Isn't that what Romeo & Juliet drank to commit suicide?

The scary wicked thing has seed pods :0
Susie, do you really want some?

More stickers in the form of seeds...

Barb save me some seeds too please!

Will do!

Oh yes! Out here in the 'wilds' stickery stuff are the only things not under possible siege from bunny, ground squirrels and rock squirrels!

Ok :)
It does have pretty flowers. It has been blooming non stop.

How big is this plant and the seeds? Sure looks lethal!

It's about 8 inches. Seed pods are the size of peas. This thing grows fast!

This is the plant that the forest service is very concerned about spreading to cattle grazing land and other others. I will stop by the forest service in Payson and pick up some literature on it. Not a good plant to have.

I don't think so either. It was going in the trash when Susie asked for seeds. It scares me :O

I always pulled them up so my goats wouldn't eat them.

yeah, it'll kill the goats: http://www.weeds.mangrovemountain.net/data/Solanum%20rostratum%20-%20Buffalo%20burr.pdf

But I don't know if bunnies, ground squirrels and rock squirrels will eat it. Seems it tastes bad and they are smarter than cows and goats.

I'd kill it and not share seeds for fear you will be an accomplice to murder!

Well, I did check that plant out and it isn't a star thistle like I thought. Anyhow I would get rid of it. Sorry, I was wrong. We have them growing in this area beside dirt roads and try to hack them down....real quick.

Seems like the plant had a specific purpose, and now we have to worry about Colorado Potato Beetles on our spuds.
"S. rostratum is the ancestral host plant of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, but this pest adopted the potato, Solanum tuberosum as a new (and more succulent) host, a fact first reported in eastern Nebraska in 1859. It then expanded its range rapidly eastward on potato crops in the next two decades.[7]" ~Wikipedia

Owie if those spines get in your finger. o_O It's a cool looking plant though!