Goosegrass, Silver Crabgrass

[Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.]

Poaceae (Grass Family)

▲ ▼ seedlings

 

▲▼young plants

▲large, mature plant

▲▼ inflorescences

Goosegrass:  (pp. 422-423, Weeds of the Great Plains; pp. 50-51 in Weeds of the Northeast)

·         also warm-season, annual grass with spreading growth habit

·         center (lower stem bases) of plant sort of silverish in color; plant sometimes called "silver crabgrass"; grows 1-12" tall

·         tolerates dry, wet and compacted soils; tough, deep root system (hard to pull)

·         digitate panicle, similar to crabgrass, but florets more dense, thicker than crabgrasses (see smooth crabgrass, southern crabgrass and large crabgrass for comparisons)