Gokhru / Puncture Vine
Tribulus terrestris
Also known as Land Caltrops, Bullhead, Caltrop, Cat's-Head, Devil's-Thorn, Devil's-Weed, Goats Head, Tribulus
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Tribulus terrestris
- Genus
- Tribulus
- Family
- Zygophyllaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Open deciduous forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Native to
- India
- Distribution
- Tropical and warm temperate regions of the world
- Found in India
- Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Opposite
- Type
- Variable
- Margin
- Variable
- Venation
- Variable
Typical of the Zygophyllaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Local Names
- Hindi
- दूधिया भाजी Dudhiya Bhaji, गोखुरू Gokhuru, गोक्षुर Gokshura, gokhru
- Nepali
- गोखुर Gokhur
- Bengali
- গোক্ষুর Gokshura, গোক্ষুর
- Tamil
- அக்கிலு Akkilu, அக்கினி Akkini, அச்சுரம் Accuram, நெருஞ்சி
- Telugu
- చిన్న పల్లేరు Chinna Palleru, చిరు పల్లేరు Chiru Palleru, నీరుంజి Nirunji
- Kannada
- ನೆಗ್ಗಿಲು Neggilu, ನೆರಿಗಿಲು Nerigilu, ಸಣ್ಣ ನೆಗ್ಗಿಲು Sanna Neggilu
- Malayalam
- ചെറിയ ഞെരിഞ്ഞിൽ Cheriya-Njeringil, ഞെരിഞ്ഞിൽ Njeringil, വയൽച്ചുള്ളി Vayalchulli, ഞെരിഞ്ഞില്
- Marathi
- गोखरू Gokharu, काटे गोखरू Kate Gokharu, गोक्षुर Gokshura, सरटा
- Punjabi
- Bhakhrha
Gokhru in India
This trailing herb, known as दूधिया भाजी Dudhiya Bhaji (Hindi), அக்கிலு Akkilu (Tamil), చిన్న పల్లేరు Chinna Palleru (Telugu), ನೆಗ್ಗಿಲು Neggilu (Kannada), ചെറിയ ഞെരിഞ്ഞിൽ Cheriya-Njeringil (Malayalam), गोखरू Gokharu (Marathi), is a common sight on waste ground and roadsides. Tribulus terrestris is found across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, especially in dry, sandy or disturbed soil.
Uses
The dried fruit (gokhru) has a long history of traditional Ayurvedic use — an attributed traditional use, not a medical claim; the plant itself is more often noticed for the sharp-spined fruit that gives it its English name.
How to Identify Gokhru
A low, spreading, hairy annual herb with small pinnate leaves in opposite pairs. Small yellow five-petalled flowers sit close to the stem, followed by a hard, spiny fruit that splits into several sharp-spined nutlets — tough enough to puncture a bicycle tyre or bare foot.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Puncture Vine called in different Indian languages?
- दूधिया भाजी Dudhiya Bhaji (Hindi); அக்கிலு Akkilu (Tamil); చిన్న పల్లేరు Chinna Palleru (Telugu); ನೆಗ್ಗಿಲು Neggilu (Kannada); ചെറിയ ഞെരിഞ്ഞിൽ Cheriya-Njeringil (Malayalam); गोखरू Gokharu (Marathi); গোক্ষুর Gokshura (Bengali); Bhakhrha (Punjabi).
- Why is it called 'puncture vine'?
- Its dried fruit splits into small, extremely hard, sharply spined nutlets that can puncture bicycle tyres and bare feet — the source of the common English name.
- Is gokhru a crop or a weed?
- It's a wild, low-growing weed of waste ground and dry soils, not a cultivated crop, though its fruit is collected for traditional use.
Zygophyllaceae
Caltrop Family
Gokhru belongs to the Zygophyllaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Zygophyllaceae family →Snap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Zygophyllaceae
View all Zygophyllaceae →Sources: GBIF — Tribulus terrestris (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Tribulus terrestris (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)