A low-growing plant with small pink or purple flowers and distinctive long, twisted seed pods shaped like needles or awls; common in dry regions.
From Spanish 'alfilerillo' (small needle), derived from Arabic 'al-khiyaṭ' (the thread) or from 'alfiler' (needle). The name refers to the needle-like appearance of the plant's seeds. It entered English through Southwestern American English as the plant became familiar on rangelands.
Alfilaria seeds have a trick—they've got a twisted spiral that dries out and unscrews itself into the ground without any help, like a tiny mechanical drill! Cowboys and ranchers have watched these 'needle seeds' work their way into animal fur and soil for centuries, and the Spanish name is basically what it looks like: a needle.
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