Flowers/Seedhead:
Camelthorn (Alhagi maurorum) Weed.
In a 1–8 flowered raceme. Flowers 0.6–1.2 cm long, sepals of each flower joined to form a calyx about 3 mm long with small teeth. Flowers spring and summer.
Description:
Perennial shrub to 1 (rarely to 1.5) m high.Young branches hairy, older branches hairless, small branches off main branches (branchlets) with yellow-tipped spines. Leaves few, elliptic to obovate, dark green, 0.5–3 cm long, 0.2–1.4 cm wide, glandular above, shortly and softly hairy below. Seedpod 0.8–3 cm long, to 3.5 mm wide, yellow to red-brown. Seeds 1–8 per pod, kidney-shaped, smooth, about 3 mm long.
Family:
Fabaceae.
Form:
Shrub.
Distribution Map:
Camelthorn (Alhagi maurorum) Distribution in North America shown in green.
Distinguishing features:
Distinguished by rigid spiny branchlets 1–4 cm long; leaves simple; flowers pea-like, purplish-red and yellow, stamens 10, in 2 bundles of 5; pod constricted between seeds.
Camelthorn (Alhagi maurorum) Weed close up.
Dispersal:
Spread by lateral root growth and pieces, seldom by seed.
Origin:
Native from western Europe to central Asia.
Notes:
Seeds appear to need scarification, for example by passing through a ruminant, before germination. Aerial parts die in autumn and new shoots emerge from roots in spring. Commonly found along drainage lines and in irrigated pasture. Probably introduced to Australia in the early 1900s. Grazed sparingly by stock. Does well under irrigation.
