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Martynia
Martynia annua is the only species in its genus, an erect, somewhat shrubby annual about 1 metre tall with large sticky leaves and hooked fruits. It is a weedy plant of fields and waste ground in warm regions, so it is grown mainly for interest rather than as a garden plant.
Martynia is a monotypic genus in the Martyniaceae family consisting of a single species, Martynia annua L., which is commonly known as cat's claw, tiger's claw, iceplant. or Devil's claw. However, the name 'iceplant' may also refer to members of the unrelated plant family Aizoaceae.
It is native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and has been introduced throughout the tropics. It is now quite common in rural areas of India.
Martynia is widely naturalized across subtropical and tropical world regions, particularly in Central America and the Indian subcontinent. It is typically found in uncultivated fields and arable lands from plains to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft).
The plant is used for making beads and other native ornaments. It has been applied for numerous supposed treatments in Ayurveda and Siddha folk medicine.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Martynia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
