Field Snakecotton, Plains Snakecotton

[Froehlichia floridana (Nutt.) Moq.]

Amaranthaceae (Pigweed Family)

seedling ▲

stems and leaves▲

flowering stem ▲

inflorescences ▲

mature plants▲

Field Snakecotton, Plains Snakecotton:  (pp. 36-37 in Weeds of the Great Plains, not in Weeds of the Northeast)

·         summer annual in the pigweed family, but not in the pigweed genus; grows 6 inches to about 3 feet tall

·         has opposite, hairy, lanceolate leaves that may have a gray or whitish color; no petiole on leaves

·         inflorescences is a short spike on an elongated stem (up to 2-3 feet tall) without showy flowers, but many hairs between the flowers and angular fruit that persist on the plant

·         found in cultivated crops in sandy soils, can form dense mats of foliage, but usually not as serious a weed pest as the pigweeds/amaranths/waterhemp