I recently took my dog for a walk on the trails near Grayton, north of 30A. We parked in the sandy parking area, and as soon as my dog jumped out of the car, she yelped. She was holding up her paw with the oddest looking prickly thing protruding from it. I'd never seen anything like it, so I'm hoping someone who knows the local flora and fauna can help me identify it. It had a large, roundish center that was about the size of a large grape. It was dark purple, like an eggplant color. The needles that protruded from it were at least an inch long. There were only 9 or 10 needles poking out, but a couple of them had stuck deep in my poor dog's leg. They were thin needles, but we really had to yank them out...almost like they were barbed. It looked like it came from an alien planet! Any ideas? I've googled, but no luck. I have no idea if it came from a larger plant or what. Didn't see any more around. The dog had no after effects, so it's a happy ending. Thanks!
