Tribulus minutus Leichh. ex Benth. APNI* 
Description: Prostrate herb with branches to c. 60 cm long.
Leaves with 5–7 pairs of leaflets; leaflets ± oblong, 3–8 mm long, to c. 2.5 mm wide.
Sepals 1.5–3 mm long. Petals 3–5 mm long, 1.2–2 times as long as sepals. Stigma hemispherical to globose; style much shorter than stigma, often nearly absent.
Fruit slightly hairy; cocci 2–4 mm long, wrinkled-muricate dorsally, with 2 short divergent spines 0.5–2 mm long in the middle third of the coccus and 2 very short basal spines pointing downwards; seeds 1 or 2 per coccus.
Flowering: summer–autumn.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in low woodland and possibly disturbed situations; probably widespread, especially in inland districts.
NSW subdivisions: NT, NWS, CWS, SWS, NWP, SWP, NFWP, SFWP
Other Australian states: ?Qld Vic. N.T. S.A. W.A.
Delimitation needs further study; apparently native; patchy distribution records may be owing to past confusion with small plants of T. terrestris. Barker (Flora of Australia vol. 26 2013) suggests that it may be introduced, pointing to similar plants found elsewhere (e.g. T. parvispinus from Africa to Pakistan).
Text by K. L. Wilson (1992); edited KL Wilson (Jan 2014)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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