Common Name: Asian spider flower, Tickweed. Tamil Name: Kattukaduku. Naikaduku.
Tickweed is a common annual in Tamilnadu seen often on road sides and fallow lands, it grows to a height of about 2 feet. The entire plant is sticky and covered with small white hairs. The plant has an offensive odor. The leaves are digitate compound: seen in 3 or 5 leaflets. The central leaflets is the largest and can measure around 3 cm; the smaller leaflets measure around 2.1 cm. The leaves are obovate in shape, with a acute tip and a cuneate base. The leaf stalk measure around 4.5 cm. The flower are mostly axillary and found single. The flower has four clawed yellow colored petals. The calyx base is purple in color and the calyx measure around 7 mm and consists of four teeth elements. The flower stalk measure around 1.6 cm; each flower petal measurers around 8 mm. The flower encloses several stamens and a single style with a round top. The fruit is in the form of a long grooved capsule which is initially green in color and measurers around 8 cm. The capsule encloses several tiny brown colored seeds. Tickweed is the larval host plant of Psyche butterfly. Tickweed is a non-native plant to Indian sub-continent.
