Cockleburs are coarse, herbaceous annual plants that grow to be 50-120 cm tall. They are part of the Xanthium genus of flowering plants in the tribe Heliantheae within the family Asteraceae. Cocklebur seeds are produced in a hard, spiny, globose or oval double-chambered, single-seeded bur that is 8-20 mm long and covered with stiff, hooked spines that stick to fur and clothing. These burs are carried long distances from the parent plant during seed dispersal by help of animals (zoochorous) . Cockleburs are found in open, often moist disturbed places in agricultural land and other areas. They are a colonizer of disturbed open-soil habitats. Ingestion of cocklebur seedlings and seeds at 1% or more of body weight can be fatal to livestock. Cocklebur seeds contain a chemical called carboxyatractyloside, which can cause mild symptoms like unpleasant taste and nausea or more severe symptoms like abdominal pain, vomiting, low blood sugar, seizures, and severe liver injury. Therefore, cocklebur seeds should never be eaten.