Nerunji is Tribulus terrestris, puncture vine — the prostrate weed whose spiny fruit Tamil feet and bicycle tyres already know, and that Ayurvedic lists call gokṣura, “cow’s hoof.” Gym tins have turned the Latin name into a testosterone story.
- Botanical name
- Tribulus terrestris L.
- Family
- Zygophyllaceae
- Tamil
- Nerunji
- Hindi
- Gokhru
- Sanskrit
- Gokṣura
- Parts used
- Fruit, Sometimes whole herb and root
- Habit
- Prostrate annual of dry waste; fruit is a star of spines
- Last updated
- 2026-10-30
How to recognise Nerunji
Linnaeus published Tribulus terrestris. The family is Zygophyllaceae. It is a spreading annual with even-pinnate leaves, yellow five-petalled flowers, and a woody fruit that splits into spiny nutlets — the caltrop that lies on its back and waits for a foot.
The fruit is the trade object: hard, grey-yellow, with sharp spines. Whole-herb powder is a weaker determination. A child can identify the fruit after one puncture.
Tamil nerunji / nerinjil, Hindi gokhru and Sanskrit gokṣura are the names when the seller means this fruit. English puncture vine and caltrop are honest. Tribulus lanuginosus and other Tribulus taxa exist; Indian lists sometimes mix them.
Pedalium murex (perun-nerunji, large caltrop) is a different, usually larger fruit in the same shops. A packet that only says gokshura has not told you the genus.
A plant flattened on a dry bund in Tamil Nadu and a weed in Mediterranean gravel can be the same species.
Fruit, root and whole herb are different traditional articles. Gym “Tribulus” is usually an extract of unspecified aerial parts.
Yellow flowers last a short morning. The fruit outlives them on the path. A flowering photograph without the caltrop is a weaker determination than a fruit in the hand.
Traditional use of Nerunji
Ayurveda
Gokṣura is a famous fruit in that system, often in urine and vṛṣya categories. Historical headings are not a urology or androgen claim.
Ayurvedic materia medica headings
Siddha and Tamil household
Nerunji is a path weed and a decoction fruit. Household use is ordinary.
Tamil vernacular
Modern notes on Nerunji
Saponin papers and bodybuilding marketing travel together. A spiny fruit on a bund and a “40% saponins” tin are not interchangeable, and controlled trials in men have mostly not found a rise in testosterone.
The practical modern issue is Pedalium substitution and extracts of unknown plant part.
Nerunji safety
The spines are a mechanical hazard for feet, paws and tyres. That is not a joke and not a medicine.
Fruit decoctions are a traditional exposure. Gym extracts are a different strength. People on blood-pressure or prostate medicines, and people who are pregnant, should not start Tribulus from a poster.
Stomach upset is a reported nuisance with extracts.
Ecology and sourcing
It is a cosmopolitan weed of dry disturbed ground. Conservation of the species is not in doubt. Honesty about fruit versus extract is.
Related plants
Questions about Nerunji
Is gokshura always Tribulus?
Usually, yes: gokṣura is Tribulus terrestris. Some shops sell Pedalium murex under related Tamil names. Ask for the Latin name.
What is the Tamil name of Tribulus terrestris?
Nerunji.
Sources
- Tribulus terrestris L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q235889 (Tribulus terrestris)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.