Origin:
Introduced from Eurasia, now found throughout the United States.
Biology:
The name is derived from the disagreeable odor given off by secretions from small glands on the leaves and spikelets. An annual grass weed, reproducing from seeds.
Identification:
Mature stems may be as long as 2 feet, but tend to grow somewhat laterally, giving the plant a spreading, low appearance. Stems are hollow and hairless. Leaves are flat or folded and about 1/4 inch wide and 3 to 4 inches long. The sheath at the stem is open, exposing a length of the stem below the leaf base. The ligule is a fringe of long, straight hairs. Flower heads are large, open clusters of branches, and may be up to 9 inches long. The branches are composed of numerous spikelets of several seeds each, and typical of the "lovegrass" group has an appearance similar to the rattles of a rattlesnake.
Characteristicts Important to Control:
An annual weed reproducing only from seed. Physical removal, cultivation into the soil, or mowing prior to seed maturation will reduce the weeds.
