Polygonum arenastrum leaf2 (14757975008)

Description:

Description: Introduced, warm-season, annual or biennial, mat-forming herb, with a deep taproot. Stems are prostrate, to 1 m long and arise from the one point. Leaves are all the same size, hairless, blue-green and 8-30 mm long. Flowers are small (1.8-3 mm long), pink or white and solitary or in small clusters in the leaf axils. Flowering is in spring and summer. A native of Europe, it is a weed of disturbed areas, particularly roadsides, wasteland, cropping paddocks, gateways and degraded pastures. An indicator of poor ground cover. Can form dense mats in newly sown pastures and is a weed of summer fallows or summer crops such as lucerne. Strongly competitive, it has vigorous seedlings with a strong tap root; mature plants inhibit the germination of many seedlings (allelopathic effect) particularly medic species. May be grazed by cattle and sheep, usually without a problem, but seeds can cause photosensitization in cattle and enteritis in all types of livestock; leaves occasionally cause dermatitis. Controlled with healthy vigorous pastures. Registered herbicides are available for control. Date: 4 February 2005, 12:49. Source: Polygonum arenastrum leaf2. Author: Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia.