In article , Pam Moore
writes
On Tue, 2 Nov 2004 19:11:38 +0000, Alan Gould
wrote:


A friend in Worcs. sent me two seed pod heads of a plant he wishes to
identify. The plant grows among crops at a farm near to Evesham. He says
it has a yellow flower a bit like that of a cucumber and it grows to
about 2 ft. tall. The farmer says that it has appeared annually 'since
his father's day' and he thinks it may be a relic from a latterday crop.
The heads are oval rugby ball shaped, about 5cm./2ins. tall x 3cm./1.25
ins. dia. The shell resembles that of a young horse-chestnut, softish
mid-green pith lined flesh, very spiky and in four lateral segments.
Inside the shell are hundreds of tiny 3mm./0.15ins. dia. smartie shaped
seeds similar in colour and texture to that of chestnuts. The heads have
grown on stiff 0.6cm./0.25ins. dia. hollow fibrous stems. Leaf material
on the stems was too deteriorated to provide any detail.

Possibly in the Arctium or Cirsium families? TIA.

Thorn apple?
Try putting that into Google images.

Thanks Pam - Thorn Apple, or Datura stramonium seems to be the most
likely answer. Most of the examples shown have white or bluish white
flowers but Sanders Enc. refers to a yellow flowered Thorn Apple -
Datura chlorantha, so that may be the variety in question.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.