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Common Burdock

Arctium minus Bernh.

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

▲ seedlings

▲▼ first year rosettes

 

▲ bolting plant 

▲ stem

 

▲▼ mature, flowering plant

 

▲▼ flowers and bur-like fruit (lower plant has almost white flowers)

 

▲▼ mature fruit on plants

 

Arctium minus Bernh., Common Burdock: (Bayer Code:  ARFMI; US Code ARMI2)

·         Biennial weed that produces large, pubescent triangular leaves (12-24 inches long and almost equally as wide) in first year

·         Second year produces elongated stalk 2-6 feet tall with rounded to urn-shaped spiny-bracted flower heads with purple flowers

·         Found in pastures, roadsides, open woods, non-crop areas—can tolerate moderate shade

·         Not as common, similar woolly burdock has more spherical heads that are often darker purple/blackish in color, plus the spine-like bracts on the inflorescences are interwoven with cobweb-like  hairs

 

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 Updated 19 January 2019