To whom it may concern, I learned from another Garden Web posting that the plant is Proboscidea louisiania.

Cranebill, glad you found your answer. This strange pod is often called Devil's Claw...an apt description like most common names. I too love strnge pods and cones, etc. and find this to be one to the fiercest looking! You might be interested in the further information provided below...click on #8, "World's Largest Hitchhiking Fruit". josh

Here is a link that might be useful: World's Largest Hitchhiking Fruit

Loved the link, Josh.

Since you seem to share my fascination with pods, I'm cutting and pasting a tidbit I posted elsewhere concerning this particular pod (I hope that doing this kind of thing is alright with Spike?):

By the way, one of the features at the Philadelphia Flower Show of 2002 was a competition involving artistic sculptures using botanical materials. One category in the competition was based, as I recall, on a traditional Mexican craft of fashioning fantastical creature out of plant materials. I think maybe this craft is in celebration of the Day of the Dead. A winning entry was a black and red-laquered and gilt little demon or alien-like thing made from this kind of Cat's Claw pod. It was an amazing work of art, not at all crafty-looking and very intriguing.

[I'm wondering if I can find photos of these entries somewhere on the Internet; if I can, I'll provide the links.]

Regards,

cranebill

Cranebill, Another use: various Indian tribes use the fibers from these pods in weaving baskets...some pods are inky black and contrast well with the pale colors of dried reeds and grasses used in basketry... I found one link last evening showing the baskets but failed to bookmark it. Will look for it again. It may have been in another part of the Wayne's Word site in which it's all too easy for me to get distracted and wander around for hours.~~smile~~

In case you want to grow your own, this link may be useful. A friend in Illinois sent my Devil's Claws to me...not sure if she grew them or found in weed patch.

I enjoy finding out everything I can about a plant...so would love any tidbits you find, including any site with folkart made from them. josh

Here is a link that might be useful: Devil's Claw

Here's the basketry article...josh

Here is a link that might be useful: Basket using Devil's Claw Fibers

Hey Josh, this means you! I've just been catching up on my responses after a long hiatus from posting and browsing GardenWeb. I just wanted to thank you for the great links concerning the North American Devil's Claw (Proboscidea louisiania).

Curious to me that the Navaho basket looks almost identical in construction and decorative pattern to the baskets that Zulu and Swazi women fashion in South Africa. As a matter of fact, there's a pod called Devil's Claw that is common in the Kalahari Desert, and hitches to the feet of ostriches and other animals as a means of dissemination. Although I'd like to think that the baskets are made of the regional Devil's Claw, I think they're actually made of sisal.

But the pods are widely used by herbalists and traditional doctors for a variety of ailments and as a general tonic. You can buy it as whole pods or in pulverized form in dusty muti stalls, which are kind of like traditional apothecaries, or neatly bottled or boxed as powders and tablets in pharmacies (which are called chemist's in South Africa).

It's late and I'm about to nod off, so I'll have to find the Latin name of the plant some other day. I'll also search for some good links (pods, baskets, muti and stuff), and figure out how to post them. I did search the Philadelphia Flower Show, but found nothing concerning the Mexican sculptures, so no pics or links.

Mostly, I just wanted to say thanks, Josh, for the intriguing info you provided, and I hope you happen upon this post.

By the way, for anyone else with a fascination for strange pods, seeds and so on, the original post containing Josh's informative comments and links was simply called "Pod I.D.", or you can search Proboscidea louisiania within this forum.

cranebill

Hi Cranebill. Well, I went browsing and found the South African Devil's Claw, in among lots of sites on its use in herbal medicine. No mention of using the fibers in baskets, but since I collect miniature baskets I was interested in the Zulu and Swazi craft. (One thing always leads me to another on the internet!) Lovely baskets, mostly woven of sisal as you mentioned but also palm fiber. Amusing but sort of sad that they now sometimes use plastic-covered telephone wire.

I too have enjoyed finding out more about these strange plants with the wicked seedpods and how they are used.

I was out today clipping the seedpods from the Ricinus and Hibiscus plants, noticing the pine needles and thinking of my pineneedle basket a Georgia farmwife long ago spent hours making. And admring my Black-stemmed Bamboo and thinking of what a Japanese artisan might craft with those lovely stems. Alas, no such craftmanship here, but it at least makes me appreciate others' talent! josh

Here is a link that might be useful: South African Devil's Claw