Hackelia virginiana

Stickseed
Seeds adhering to a boot and leg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	(unplaced)
Family:	Boraginaceae
Genus:	Hackelia
Species:	H. virginiana
Binomial name
Hackelia virginiana I.M.Johnston
Synonyms[1]
Cynoglossospermum virginianum (L.) Kuntze Echinospermum virginianum (L.) Lehm. Rochelia virginiana (L.) Roem. & Schult.

Hackelia virginiana, commonly known as beggar's lice,^[2][3] sticktight or stickseed,^[3] is a biennial plant native to Eastern North America. It has simple, rough leaves and ribbed green stems. The plant is categorized Wetland Indicator Status: FACU (Facultative Upland).^[4]

The flowers are small and white, bourne in mid-late summer.^[5] The seeds are burs, and are very sticky. The seeding part of the plant -- the upper stem -- dies earlier than most other plants, and becomes very brittle. Often the entire seed stem, or even the entire plant will come out of the ground if the seeds catch on clothing or fur, aiding seed dispersion.

During the plant's first year of growth it has only a basal rosette of foliage,^[5] with the flowering stalk ascending the second year. The leaves are dark green and irregularly shaped.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hackelia virginiana.