Origin:
Native to Europe, but now found throughout the world, including throughout Latin America and in North America along the east coast states and west to Texas.
Biology:
A summer annual reproducing from seeds. Plants may invade nearly any habitat, including cultivated crops, turf, roadsides and waste areas, and wooded areas.
Identification:
Mature plants are upright but remain fairly short, with seed heads forming at the ends of the stems up to about 12 inches high. Several branches may form on the stem, each with dense clusters of reddish flowers along them for about 1 to 2 inches. Leaves are smooth on both surfaces, and the sheath at the stem has a fringe of hairs on the upper margins, as well as a short fringe of hairs that forms the ligule.
Characteristicts Important to Control:
Primarily pre-emergence control with appropriate herbicides, as the plants propagate only by seed.
