It is the scientific name of a plant mentioned in gateña, gurumaca, balomága, abreojo. The name ononis was taken by Carl Linnaeus from a generic description made by Pliny the Elder for other plants, surely alluding to the "donkey's hoof" by the Greek 959; 957; 959; 962; (onos "ass") with 959; 957; 965; 958; (onyx "nail"), and spinosa ("thorny") is a Latin word.
It is the scientific name of a woody and hairy plant. It means spiny ononis (ononis is the asnillo plant). It is also known as opener, kills donkeys, asnillo, balomaga, stops oxen, shin, trigger, cat, gatuña, bull grass, donkey comb, broken plows. It is from the Fabaceae family. It is a very hairy plant and has pink or purple hairy flowers.
Already Pliny the Elder spoke of this plant in his Natural History. De onos in Greek, ass. I have found that it is one of the plants preferred by donkeys especially in spring when it is tender. Then it develops dangerous sharp thorns in which the girls of my land stuck the white marrow of the reeds coiled in a spiral. For my land they call it agatina, they also call it gatuna, gatuña, pimple and in other ways.
