Proboscidea louisianica
English: Common devil's claw; Ram's horn; Aphid trap; Louisiana unicorn-plant; Purple-flowered devil's-claw; Goat's head; Elephant tusks; Devil's horn.
Fruit: long, hooked seed pods, sticking to the feet of animals
Use: fruits are edible before they ripen and become woody; in basket weaving; for dietary oils.
Botany
Annual herb, spreading stems, up to about 80 centimeters long.
Leaves: opposite, ovate, blades up to 30 centimeters wide; coated in glandular hairs carrying tiny oil droplets, oily to touch, giving it a strong scent with a distinct acrid odor.
Flowers: lobed, corolla is lavender, purple-cream, yellowish with purple spots, or dull white to somewhat pinkish purple, with yellowish nectar guides and with or without purple blotches. One plant can produce up to 80 fruits.
Fruit: dehiscent capsule; up to 10 centimeters long, with a long, narrow, curving beak; the hard beak splits into two horns when falling; horns can be up to 30 centimeters long; contains black or white seeds, containing over 43% oil.
Pollination: bees.