However, experiments in which crown of thorns larvae have been suspended in cages in various parts of the tropical ocean have not supported this idea.
Care is taken to leave the thorns intact, and the thick end of the stalk is broken off.
None of the studied plant species had spines or thorns.
In this literature, it is rare to find some roses blooming amongst the thorns of negative case studies.
The major defensive mechanisms of acacia are mechanical (thorns) or qualitative-defence chemicals (cyanogenic glucosides) that are apparently more effective against vertebrate than invertebrate herbivores.
Certainly thorn trees occur along leys, and planting is a way of establishing a mark with relatively little effort.
In front of its trading store lie the remains of what was once an enormous camel thorn tree.
At the end of the arm is what looks like a tiny lollipop with a pointy thorn at the centre.
