This prostrate annual may send out stems that branch from one to six feet. In turf the spines of the burs point upward and are exposed to bare feet, animals or bicycle tires. They can pierce deeply and cause severe pain. Seeds within the bur are also transported from place to place by fastening to any moving object. Puncture vine leaves are mostly opposite each other and each leaf is composed of four to eight pairs of leaflets. The entire plant is covered with silky hairs. Pale yellow flowers with five petals are on short stems at the junction of leaf and branch. Puncture vine is a problem of the deep South and from Colorado westward.