PURSUE PRICKLY PLANTS

Spines, prickles, and thorns are sharp structures produced by plants which provide protection against herbivores and help climbing plants hook onto other objects. These structures are differentiated based on which part of the plant they develop from: prickles are derived from epidermal tissue, spines are modified leaves, and thorns are modified branches. There are a number of native and introduced trees, shrubs, vines, and herbs in New York City which have spines, prickles, and thorns. How many different plants can you find?

The filter for this EcoQuest's project on iNaturalist currently includes the following taxa. We will monitor all observations this month in case there are any we missed, but please let us know in the comments if your favorite spiny plant is not yet included!

Aralia sp.
Berberis sp.
Cirsium sp.
Gleditsia triacanthos
Ilex sp.
Opuntia humifusa
Robinia pseudoacacia
Rosa sp.
Rubus sp.
Smilax sp.
Sonchus asper