Some species, notably Xanthium spinosum, are also very thorny with long, slender spines at the leaf bases.

These burs are carried long distances from the parent plant during seed dispersal by help of animals (zoochorous).

[6] Cockleburs are short-day plants, meaning they only initiate flowering when the days are getting shorter in the late summer and fall, typically from July to October in the Northern Hemisphere.

[citation needed] The plant also has been used for making yellow dye, hence the name of the genus (Greek xanthos means 'yellow').

[citation needed] Xanthium strumarium is known as cang er zi (苍耳子) in traditional Chinese medicine.

When the bur is prepared as an herbal remedy, the spines are usually removed, reducing the CAT content of the finished product.