Annual Grass and Perennial Weed Seedling Identification

Gerald R. Miller and Oliver E. Strand

Copyright ©  2000  Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Annual Grass Seedlings

Barnyardgrass

Leaf sheath open, flattened; leaf blade smooth and hairless; no ligule.

Barnyardgrass

Crabgrass, large

Leaf sheath round, hairy, open; leaf blade wide, hairy; ligule membranous.

Crabgrass, large.

Oat, wild

Leaf sheath pubescent, round, open; leaf blade smooth and hairless except often has scattered hairs on leaf margin toward base of leaf; ligule prominent, membranous.

Oat, wild.

Foxtail, giant

Leaf sheath round, pubescent, open; leaf blade with dense covering of fine hairs on upper surface, few scattered hairs on lower surface; ligule a fringe of hairs.

Foxtail, giant.

Foxtail, green

Leaf sheath round, pubescent, open; leaf blade relatively free of hairls on both surfaces: ligule a fringe of hairs.

Foxtail, green.

Foxtail, yellow

Leaf sheath flattened, open, relatively hairless; leaf blade has scattered long whitish hairs toward base, otherwise hairless; ligule a fringe of hairs.

Foxtail, yellow.

Panicum, fall

Leaf sheath round, open, smooth and free of hairs; leaf blade hairless; ligule a fringe of hairs.

Panicum, fall.

Proso millet, wild

Leaf sheath round, open, prominently veined, coarse hairy; leaf blade wide, hairy; ligule a fringe of hairs.

Proso millet, wild.

Weed Seedlings

Artichoke, Jerusalem

Cotyledons ovate to spatulate rough; leaves opposite, hairy, prominent midvein, petiole short; stem white-hairy; plant erect.

Artichoke, Jerusalem.

Bindweed, field

Cotyledons broad, shallow notch at tip; leaves somewhat heart-shaped to arrowhead-shaped, alternate; plant vine-like, twining or trailing.

Bindweed, field.

Bindweed, hedge

Cotyledons broad, notched at tip; leaves arrowhead-shaped with "cut-a-way corners" at base, leaves larger than field birdweed leaves, alternate; plant vine-like, twining.

Bindweed, hedge.

Nutsedge, yellow

Leaves three-ranked with triangular stem, numerous fine veins visible on leaf sheath; no ligule as in grasses.

Nutsedge, yellow.

Quackgrass

Leaf sheath round, open, pubescent; leaf blades may be smooth or pubescent; ligule membranous, short; older leaves bear a pair of auricles (short claw-like appendages that are attached to the leaf collar at base of blade); plants may arise from seed or from white rhizomes (underground stems).

Quackgrass.

Sowthistle, perennial

Cotyledons oval, short stalked; leaves ovate with slightly toothed or prickly margins, long petioles, leaves alternate; plant erect, plant contains milky juice.

Sowthistle, perennial.

Thistle, Canada

Cotyledons ovate to linear, thick and fleshy; first leaves ovate with prickly margins, successive leaves more wrinkled and spiny, leaves alternate; plant erect.

Thistle, Canada.

Gerald R. Miller extension agronomist

Oliver E. Strand former extension agronomist

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