Can I explain the idea behind a Velcro tape using the name of these plant seeds? (photo)

Question

Introduction: Long time ago, when I had no idea Velcro tape was called マジックテープ in Japanese I tried to suggest using it to my Japanese colleague. He had no idea about the word "Velcro", so I tried an example of bur, but I found Japanese people think of food when they hear ゴボウ (burdock) rather than its seeds.

Now I have found these stuck to my jeans:

(in reality they were greener, about 5 mm in size).

Question: What is the plant (or seeds) called in Japanese and is its feature of sticking to animals/human known well enough to use it as an explanation of the way Velcro tape works?

Answer 1

The generic name you are lookig for would be 「ひっつき[虫]{むし}」 or 「くっつき虫」.

「ひっつく」 means "to adhere to". 「くっつく」 is its synonym.

http://matsue-hana.com/yasou/hittukimusi.html

As to your other question, I just remembered hearing somewhere long ago how Velcro was invented from the observation of these plants, but I think that is because reading your question has triggered my memory.

「ひっつき虫のようにひっつくテープ」 would only be understood by those who are familiar with the word 「ひっつき虫」, which I feel like was in my active vocabulary as a kid but is not really there any more.

「マジックテープ」 would probably be the only word that every Japanese-speaker is familiar with.