Goathead pods
Posted by DAAN on September 9, 2007 under Herbs | 
Goathead pods, a poisonous weed, is useful in Chinese remedies, and the Medicinal Herb Consortium is promoting it as a cash crop in New Mexico:
“This is a great opportunity for kids to earn some cash for school and to learn about underutilized plant species,” Martin said. “Puncture vine or goathead is just one of many plants we consider to be weeds that have medicinal properties and therefore could be cash crops if more people just knew about them.”
The right time to pick the goathead pods is when it is in its green, ripe stage, not brown, over-ripe or moldy. “Not when it is a woody sticker that attaches itself to anything it comes in contact with, including shoe soles or bicycle tires,” he said, adding that the large whole pods are preferred.
Giblette said Tribulus terrestris is listed in the “Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica,” the oldest record of herbs used as medicinals in China. The book includes a wealth of historical information about early descriptions and usages of approximately 300 Chinese herbs. The ancient publication was created by Shen Nong, the Divine Farmer, who legend says, taught his country about agriculture and medicinal herbs. Giblette said the ground, dried goathead pod is included in many of the Chinese medicine formulas used to address pathogenic changes in internal organ functions.
The use of Tribulus terrestris as a dietary supplement became recognized in Western countries after the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, where it was revealed that the gold medal weightlifting team from Bulgaria had used the herb for a natural endocrine system stimulant to boost testosterone production and thus increase their muscle mass. It boosts the endocrine system in both men and women.
“You see it on the market at health food stores selling for around $20 for a bottle of 60 capsules,” Martin said. “That’s why I am encouraging people to collect this plant as a cash crop. This is just one of many under-utilized plants we are trying to develop into a product with economic value. It’s a matter of raising people’s awareness to the potential that is out there.”"
