Names link to more information on identification and biology.
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| Annual grasses |
Annual bluegrass
(Poa annua): Grass family; winter annual or where irrigated
a summer annual; leaf tip shaped like bow of a boat; membranous
ligule rounded with slightly pointed tip; leaf blade crinkled
at midsection.
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Barnyardgrass
(Echinochloa crus-galli): Grass family; summer annual;
first leaf dull gray-green; stem flattened, purplish; no
ligule. |
Bearded sprangletop
(Leptochloa fascicularis): Grass family; summer annual;
first leaves light green, usually with white midrib; blades
somewhat rolled; sheaths loose near base of plant; ligule
long, thin, membranous and tears easily. |
Green foxtail
(Setaria
viridis): Grass family; summer annual; leaf blade is flat, light
green, and narrow; sheath red purple around base of plant; no fine
hairs on upper surface of leaf blade near collar (as in yellow foxtail);
by pulling leaf sheath away from stem, fine hairs on sheath below collar
region are revealed. |
Large crabgrass
(Digitaria sanguinalis): Grass family; summer annual;
first leaf blade linear to lance shaped, with stiff, jagged,
and papery ligule; hairs on margins of the collar wide; no auricles;
leaves covered with coarse hairs; leaves rolled in bud. |
Lovegrasses (Stinkgrasses)
(Eragrostis spp.): Grass family; winter or summer annuals
or perennials, depending on the location and which of about
one dozen species; a seedling's first leaf is inconspicuous;
second and third leaves are light green, short, and roughly
1/10 inch (3 mm) wide with tufts of hair arising from base
of the third leaf. |
Yellow foxtail
(Setaria pumila): Grass family; summer annual; first
blade linear, roughly 7 times longer than wide and opens almost
parallel to ground; leaves rolled in bud; ligule?fringe
of hairs; no auricles; no hairs on leaf-sheath margin below
collar; leaf blades of young seedlings smooth on lower surface,
with long hairs on basal area of upper surface; margins smooth
or slightly rough. |
Witchgrass
(Panicum
capillare): Grass family; summer annual; ligule is a fringe of short
hairs; auricles are absent; light green to red purple and resembles
crabgrass seedling but has slightly narrower leaf blades and longer
silky hairs with swollen bases. |
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| Perennial grasses |
Bermudagrass
(Cynodon dactylon): Grass family; perennial; first
leaves with somewhat rough surface; ligule surrounded by
ring of hairs with tuft of long hairs on either side; auricles
absent; stem flat, wiry, and without hairs. |
Dallisgrass
(Paspalum dilatatum): Grass family; perennial; first leaves rolled in
bud; ligule membranous and tall, with bluntly pointed or rounded tip; long, silky
hairs at collar; no auricles; sheaths flattened with prominent midrib; first
leaf sheaths softly hairy. |
Johnsongrass
(Sorghum halepense): Grass family; perennial; first leaves with white
midvein, 8 times longer than wide and rolled in bud; ligule membranous below
and fringed or toothed above; no auricles. |
| Sedges |
Yellow nutsedge
(Cyperus esculentus): Sedge family; perennial; grasslike; light green
blades, flat, slender; leaf tip long and drawn out; nutlets globe shaped, smooth,
and almond flavored. |
(Seedlings rarely occur, most plants from rhizomes and/or
tubers)
Purple nutsedge
(Cyperus rotundus): Sedge family; perennial; (young
plant) young shoot somewhat stiff, upright, and light
green with a fairly prominent whitish midvein; no auricle
or ligule; triangular stem solid or pithy and rarely hollow
as in grasses. (seedling) 2 to 3 newly emerged leaves with
smooth, membranous, linear blades folded lengthwise; sheaths
tubular.
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