Well, I guess. But you could post something about gardening if that's what interests you.<br><br>[color:red]semicolon dash parenthesis</font color=red>

in a lurker thread?<br><br>ok well here goes..<br>um I call these "sly lurkers" <br>which is an appropriate name in many more ways than one. <br>If you wish to figure out whattf I mean by that last then you should try a Google search for Caltrops.<br><br>

O.K., Giz, I give!<br><br>Been an occasional visitor for over a year. I enjoy the news page and forums.<br><br><br><br>[b][color:green]Stumpy</font color=green>[b]

Is this what you mean? <br><br>Great wits are sure to madness near allied.--John Dryden, "Absalom and Achitophel"

Ouch!!! That'll teach 'em!!!<br><br>[color:red]semicolon dash parenthesis</font color=red>

well yes there was a multi-barb to the post, which did include the fact that Caltrop(s) is the name for a vast array of dangerous pointy things with multiple spikes. Everything from Ninja throwing knives to grenades, similarly thus spiked.<br><br>No doubt that these are all sly lurkers awaiting the doing of violence.. but in reality it was the namesake of Caltrop.. the plant family which is where the idea of multi pointed weapons got both the ideas and the name from.<br><br>Catheads is a common name used around here for them but sly lurkers is apt as they lie in wait for your unsuspecting bare feet, once you find them with your feet, the next inescapable and impromptu position, is on your hands and knees, which by this time are also full of them and all you have left to do is roll over and get them stuck in all over you..Let me tell you that though far less violent appearing.. Caltrops is a particularly vicious plant family. They leave a poison behind after you extract them that will cause a festering wound, which for all the digging with tweezers will not find the thorn which you are absolutely sure just has to be still in there because it hurts like it is..for days and days. Coming off a motorbike and sliding through a patch... First it is hands and arms, then face and torso, then legs.. ow ow! Makes you look like one huge pustule. You must by now, realize why I christened them sly lurkers.<br><br>Caltrop \Cal"trop\, Caltrap \Cal"trap\, n. [OE. calketrappe,<br> calletrappe, caltor (in both senses), fr. AS. collr[ae]ppe,<br> calcetreppe, sort of thistle; cf. F. chaussetrape star<br> thistle, trap, It. calcatreppo, calcatreppolo, star thistle.<br> Perh. from L. calx heel the same word as E. trap. See 1st<br> {Trap}.]<br> 1. (Bot.) A genus of herbaceous plants ({Tribulus}) of the<br> order {Zygophylle[ae]}, having a hard several-celled<br> fruit, armed with stout spines, and resembling the<br> military instrument of the same name. The species grow in<br> warm countries, and are often very annoying to cattle.<br><br> 2. (Mil.) An instrument with four iron points, so disposed<br> that, any three of them being on the ground, the other<br> projects upward. They are scattered on the ground where an<br> enemy's cavalry are to pass, to impede their progress by<br> endangering the horses' feet.<br><br>Common name(s): bindy eye, bindii, bull's head, bullhead, burnut, caltrop, cat head, cat's head, common dubbeltjie, devil's thorn, doublegee, dubbeltjie, goat head, ground bur nut, isiHoho, land caltrop, Maltese cross, Mexican sandbur, puncture vine, puncture weed, rose <br><br>Zygophyllaceae {Tribulus} Caltrop<br>A branching weedy shrub to vine, annual or perennial with world wide distribution in the tropics and sub-tropics, with distincive burr fruit with sharp hard spines. May or may not be introduced to Australia, is now however widely spread and reported from all mainland states of Australia. There are possibly 10 species of tribulus indigenous to Australia, some endemic others with distributions in Asia, SE Asia and the Pacific region.<br>Tribulus terrestris is considered a weed of pasture and agricultural land and is declared a noxious weed in at least some states. Fairly drought tolerant and comes back quickly. Related to syrian rue and seeds reported to contain similar alkaloids, ie; beta-carboline alkaloids such as harmaline, though there is little direct phytochemical studies of Australian species. Some species are suspected of stock poisoning in Australia, though this may be due to fungal breakdown of wet mown foliage than the plant directly producing toxins.<br>Used in Ayurveda, sometimes in combination with Mucuna or cowhage, plant and dried spiny fruit are esteemed as cooloing, demulcent, diuretic, tonic and aphrodisiac. Stems are considered astringent. It's action on the mucous membrane of the urinary tract closely resembles that of Buchu and UvaUrsi flowers. The plant which was also known to the Greek physicians is used in Sth Europe as an aperient and diuretic. One native species Tribulus cistoides was reportedly used by Aborigenes for toothache by chewing the plant and holding it next to the tooth.<br><br>Tribulus species reported from Australia<br><br>Tribulus <br>astrocarpus <br>cistoides <br>eichlerianus <br>hystrix <br>leptophyllus <br>micrococcus <br>minutus <br>occidentalis <br>ranunculiformis <br>terrestris <br>http://pi.cdfa.ca.gov/weedinfo/TRIBULUS2.html<br><br><br>oh and by the way MacGizmo.. are you getting your moneys worth?<br>or would you rather I went back to lurking?<br>

My gosh, Entish that is a nasty picture. Take it from someone who has to brush seeds out of 2 little wire haired terriers I am glad we do not have them around here. I got my money's worth.<br><br>Cheers, iRock<br>Order line-<br>"How much stuff comes on a computer, because I’m trying to get one of all of 'em."

On second thought... go back to lurking... LOL!<br><br>[color:red]semicolon dash parenthesis</font color=red>

From the way I read it, Entish has shown that the major species probably came from Morocco and landed in Australia, where it possibly diversified after it naturalized and that the plant family is now found in many parts of the world including the drier areas of the US.<br><br>Best not to get an Ent animated as they tend to go on...and on...and on... He may start talking about the Red back spider and start telling you that it came from the US to Australia(black widow) and that it has most Aussies scared ****less about using the little outhouse. Since the Red Back prefers dark moist places.<br><br>Why the Aussies even wrote a song about it, that went;.. "there was a Red-Back on the toilet seat when I went there last night...I didn't see her in the dark but boy I felt her bite..."<br><br>=============================================================<br>| "Behold the Turtle, he maketh no progress ==== until he sticketh out his neck." |<br>=============================================================

The human head weighs 10 pounds.<br><br>[color:red]semicolon dash parenthesis</font color=red>