Common Usage: In Chinese medicine, used for skin disorders with itching; nasal passage obstruction, thick nasal discharge and sinus headache. The Common Cocklebur (X. strumarium) is a native of North America where in the past the (now extinct) Carolina Parakeet fed on the seeds. It has become an invasive species worldwide. The plant also has been used for medicinal properties and for making yellow dye. The many species of this plant, which can be found in many areas, may actually be varieties of two or three species. Asian species are also used in Chinese traditional medicine. This plant is a beneficial weed, repelling army worms and other pests from nearby domesticated plants.