Spurs of Surrender

Cenchrus echinatus. This is the scientific name for the scourge otherwise known as a common sand spur. They flourish throughout North America, but if you have never seen one (or if you have never stepped on one), cenchrus echinatus looks like a tiny fossilized porcupine with menacing quills sticking out in all directions. Stepping on one barefoot produces the same reaction as stepping on a ball of needles.

They are sticky little savages, dropping to the ground late in the year, where they wait to inflict pain on passersby or to hitch a ride in one’s clothing. Tagging along home, then they land in the carpet to ambush a sleepy walker in the middle of the night.

When I take my two dogs for a walk, because of where we live, we have to deal with sand spurs daily. They are forever attaching themselves to my dogs’ feet. The…