Harpagonella

Harpagonella is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the borage family containing the single species Harpagonella palmeri, which is known by the common name Palmer's grappling hook. It is native to the desert and coastal regions of the US states of California and Arizona and the Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora. It is a member of chaparral and coastal scrub plant communities. This is a small, generally erect herb reaching a maximum height of about 30 centimeters. Its stems are lined with occasional small, pointed leaves. At axils and at the tips of the stems are spiny white flowers with hooked bristles. Encapsulated in the flower is the fruit, which is a nutlet one to four millimeters wide.