I stopped at a yard sale and there was this curious looking viny plant. The leaves are fuzzy and somewhat sticky when touched, and the entire thing, including the leaves, is covered in small thorns. The lady said it gets small white flowers.
I had something with thorny leaves once but it had bright blue flowers....and the leaves were not fuzzy.
Any idea?

Is this 'Devil's Club'?

Somehow, from the Wikipedia description, I don't think so, mostly because it's growing in Southwest Florida.

It reminds me a lof of Coltsfoot, Tussilago farfara. I had one set in my garden last year. Maybe something in Asteraceae.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T...

The description first reminded me of the cucumber family though!

Look at Bur Cucumber (Sicyos angulatus)

http://www.pbase.com/diggitydo...

Does look like the Bur Cucumber. Some of the most interesting plants turn up here.....

I agree it LOOKS like Bur Cucumber but the descriptions of this plant don't mention anything about spines on the leaves. And again, this is growing in Southwest Florida...

Sicyos angulatus is native to Florida, a lot of the photos on google show more toothed leaves but they might be other species as there's a lot of them.

http://luirig.altervista.org/f...

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/w...

http://www.missouriplants.com/...

http://plants.usda.gov/java/pr...

http://plants.usda.gov/java/pr...

I've been through al the genera in the family, checked those which are in Florida and those with white flowers. I haven't found anything else.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/Cl...

Description from this site..

http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/w...

Seedling: Cotyledons very closely resemble those of ordinary cucumber cotyledons, are thick and oblong, with many spreading hairs on the top and bottom. The stem below the cotyledons (hypocotyl) is also covered with many short hairs that typically point downward.

Stems: Stems are hairy especially at the leaf nodes, longitudinally ridged, and climb by way of branched tendrils.

Leaves: Alternate, 2-8 inches long, 2-8 inches wide, hairy, broadly heart shaped with 5 pointed lobes and a toothed margin.

All really good information, and I'm tempted to agree were it not for the fact that it has distinctive (and painful) spines on the leaves, both top and bottom, which doesn't seem to be described anywhere...

It would be a good idea to wait for flowers Hetty, then it will be easier to say what it is. I don't think there is a plant in the cucumber family without painful spines on leaves, I know pumpkins plants can be very prickly!

Oh it was just a plant I saw at a yard sale, which intrigued me! I don't own it! But I'm happy enough to know that I didn't pass up a rare plant Thanks!

I think it might be this one Bull Nettle Texas Bullnettle (Cnidoscolus texanus)
http://wildflower.org/plants/r...
Josephine.

That has deeply cut leaves Josephine..

http://www.google.co.uk/search...

I think you are right, it just seemed close.

Perhaps Solanum quitoense (or a similar species)?

http://www.naranjillas.com/nar...

R.

Now that's what I call spines Robert!

The shape of the leaf is more "Christmas tree" on that one..

http://www.bustaniplantfarm.co...

Looking more closely I can see three very sharp spines on the leaf pointing to 1 o'clock, about 2/3 of the way down with one on the midrib and one either side of it.

You might be onto something! I found some photos of a young plant and that one doesn't match, but it could be something similar.

http://herselfshoustongarden.c...

Hetty, go back and buy the plant so we can scrutinise it better.

I had a Solanum once, and it was my first thought until she said 'white flowers', since mine had blue ones. But now that I see there are also those with white flowers, I am 95% convinced that that is what this is.
At least I know now that I don't need to rush back to go buy it
Thanks, everyone, for your help!!

I can't find any Solanum with this leaf shape though Hetty.. there are some with white flowers though.

I found a herbarium specimen of Sicyos angulatus, enlarge the photo then use a magnifier. You can see some spines on the underneath side of a leaf, they probably have random spines..

http://florida.plantatlas.usf....

Solanum capsicoides is in Florida, and has white flowers. I found one photo with leaves which are similar to yours although they look more hairy, but other photos show them to be different!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F...

http://www.google.co.uk/search...

Reading on wiki, they say it's included in Solanum aculeatissimum, there we might have a match!

http://www.ukrop.info/html/top...

If it is that, it's an introduced plant..

http://plants.usda.gov/java/pr...

It has a very spiny stem..

http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw...

http://two-ton.blogspot.com/20...

Those in Brazil have a different shaped leaf..

http://sites.google.com/site/f...

I went through the list of those in Florida on the USDA plants site, the only other one coming close is Solanum viarum but it didn't quite look right.

Dutchlady1 said:I stopped at a yard sale and there was this curious looking viny plant. The leaves are fuzzy and somewhat sticky when touched, and the entire thing, including the leaves, is covered in small thorns. The lady said it gets small white flowers.
I had something with thorny leaves once but it had bright blue flowers....and the leaves were not fuzzy.
Any idea?

This plant that you posted on this thread is a tropical soda apple it is illegal to buy sell or other wise it is a class 1 weed. it it poisonous to human and live stock and is to be reported to your local dept. of agriculture within 24hrs of discovery to treat and exterminate immediately. this post is not a joke it is very serious look it up if you dont believe.

seankyleb and I certainly believe you. This was a very old post of mine that you unearthed!!