Talk:caltrop

Hello, in french

Trapa natans, water caltrop

• defensive weapon : french slave-traders used to carry in their ship-holds caskets full of iron caltrops, which they called "pigeons" , and believed to be very useful in keeping bare-footed uprising slaves from reaching the poop.
• we write either "chausse-trape" or "chausse-trappe" .
• botany : we now often find along our lake shores black horny seeds of Trapa natans , or Trapa bicornis ( in french mâcre, châtaigne d'eau, corne du diable)...Hoping not to stumble some day on an Harpagophytum procumbens seed...(BTW , the spanish name "abrojo" recalls one to be wary & to keep one's eyes open not to step unpon it.) T.y. Arapaima 08:48, 31 January 2011 (UTC)