Flower Color

• Yellow-green
• Green
• White

Inflorescence Type (How the flowers are arranged on the plant)

• Axillary spikes
• Terminal spike

Number of Petals

• 5 petals

Petal Separation

• United from 25% - 75% length
• United > 75% of length

Petal Tip

• Rounded
• Toothed

Flower Symmetry

• Flowers regular

Flower Length (Head length in the Asteraceae)

• 1 mm (.04 inch)
• 2 mm (.08 inch)
• 3 mm (.12 inch)

Flower Width (Head width in the Asteraceae)

• 2 mm (.08 inch)
• 3 mm (.12 inch)
• 4 mm (.16 inch)

Number of Sepals

• 5 sepals

Sepal Separation

• United from 25% - 75% length
• United > 75% of length

Sepal Tip

• Rounded
• Toothed

Flower Sex

• Bisexual (perfect)

Number of Styles

• 1 style

Number of Stamens

• 5 stamens

Stamens Attached to the Petals

• Stamens NOT attached to the petals

Stamens Connate (united)

• Filaments or anthers NOT united

Carpel Separation

• Carpels united (or one)

Number of Carpels

• 2 carpels

Ovary Position

• Inferior (epigynous)

Fruit Type

• Capsule, 2-celled

Fruit Length at Maturity

• 6 mm (.24 inch)
• 7 mm (.28 inch)
• 8 mm (.32 inch)

Fruit Width at Maturity

• 6 mm (.24 inch)
• 7 mm (.28 inch)
• 8 mm (.32 inch)

Burs

• Fruit or seed NOT bur-like

Leaf Arrangement

• Alternate

Leaf Type

• Simple (including lobed leaves)

Stipules

• Lacking

Tendrils

• Tendrils absent

Venation

• Pinnate

Petiole (leaf stem) Blade Ratio

• Petiole < 25% total length

Leaf Length (blade PLUS petiole)

• 4 - 10 cm (1.60 - 4.0 inches)
• 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)

Leaf Width

• 2 - 4 cm (.80 - 1.6 inches)
• 4 - 10 cm (1.6 - 4.0 inches)

Leaf Shape (simple leaves only)

• Elliptic
• Oblong
• Oval

Leaf or Leaflet Margin

• Entire

Leaf or Leaflet Blade Base

• Acute (cuneate)

Leaf or Leaflet Tip

• Acute

Leaf or Leaflet Blade Surface

• Glabrous (NO hairs)

Succulence

• Not succulent

Milky Juice

• Juice NOT milky (watery)

Woodiness

• Herbaceous

Spines or Thorns

• Spines or Thorns ABSENT

Aromatic (vegetative structures)

• Not aromatic

Life Cycle

• Perennial

Growth Habit (while flowering)

• Erect, columnar (narrow)
• Erect, spherical (bushy)

Plant Height at Maturity

• 4 - 6 dm (1.3 - 2.0 feet)
• 6 - 8 dm (2.0 - 2.6 feet)
• 8 - 10 dm (2.6 - 3.3 feet)

Wind Dissemination

• Not wind disseminated

Moisture Regime

• Aquatic
• Semi-aquatic
• Seasonally saturated

Chlorophyll

• Present

Stem Cross Section

• Hollow (flowering stem at maturity)
• Round

Flowering Stem Leaves

• Stem uniformly leafy

Main Stem Branches

• Main stem branched

Root or Vegetative Propagule

• Fibrous

US State

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Georgia
• Louisiana
• Missouri
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Oklahoma

Other

• Puerto Rico

• S.W.S.S. Weed ID Guide, 1993 Section Number and Five letter code: 11S
• Weeds of the South, University of Georgia 2009, ISBN#0-8203-3046-9 See page: 143
• Listed in the WSSA Composite List of Weeds X