The predominant function of thorns, spines and prickles is deterring herbivory in a mechanical form. Technically speaking, many plants commonly thought of as having thorns or spines actually have prickles. The stems have very numerous stiff bristles and many straight prickles. It has light green paired leaflets with toothed edges and sharp prickles at the base. Stems of Bombacoideae are often covered in thick prickles. The young stems are green with a scattered arrangement of hairy prickles. The stems are covered in numerous hooked prickles. A few species of roses have only vestigial prickles that have no points. Its stems are covered with small, sharp, hooked prickles, which aid it in climbing. Subsection "Strobus" has five needles per fascicle and thin cone scales with no prickles. The tongue is rough with sharp prickles. The almost round cones are long with small prickles on the scales. The cones are long and oval with prickles on the scales. The cones have prickles on the scales. The branches tend to be horizontal and are also covered with prickles.