Ok, to be frank, this is kind of a weird post. For some reason, during the last month or so, my brain has paid attention to spines and thorns as I’ve walked through prairies. Given the relative scarcity of other photographic subjects, I’ve taken pictures of spines and thorns. As a result, you get to see pictures of spines and thorns too. I’m sorry. To make it up to you, I added a couple more Plant Game questions to the end of the post because people seemed to enjoy them last time. I still haven’t come up with the perfect name for the Plant Game, though I did appreciate the suggestions many of you provided.
While spines and thorns might seem like odd photo subjects, I’m hoping you’ll see some of the beauty I saw. Plants employ them to help prevent herbivory, but if you look closely, those sharp pointy things are kind of pretty too.
Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) thorns. Hamilton County, Nebraska.
Buffalo bur (Solanum rostratum) seed pods. Hamilton County, Nebraska.
Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) thorn.
Woods rose (Rosa woodsii). Hall County, Nebraska.
Well, there you go. Spines and thorns.
Now…
PLANT GAME!
The rules are simple. Just pick the fake plant name from each list. Three of the names are official names of plants found in Nebraska. The other is one that I made up. Should be easy, right? GOOD LUCK.
The Prairie Ecologist 
I think the thorns are beautiful. I’m as fond of seed pods and withered plants as I am of pretty flowers, so these are right up my alley. Out of curiosity, do you have that thorny invasive — trifoliate orange — up there, too?
No trifoliate orange up here that I’m aware of. That might be a benefit of (for now) our cold winters.
no, up here in Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin I have not seen this plant.
Oh Yeah, Chris, excellent post! Having grown up loving the Sonoran Desert of south central Arizona, whenever I took my kids on a walk, I had to be very careful WHICH place I chose because some of the areas were loaded with cactus thorns like Cholla or ‘jumping cactus’ that do a nasty job if you get them on your tennis Shoes!
Yes, Chris, Thorns are Very Important subject!!!!!! Pay attention!!
I loved your attention to thorns and spines…..your photos are lovely, even uncomfortable plants have beauty and are understandable.
How about “Plant Puzzlers:?
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When I was in grade school while walking home, I noticed the thorns on a hawthorn shrub. The fierce elegance of it struck me. I tore one off and kept it for years. The thought of it still reminds me of the wonders of nature.