weed id (Pasture)

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Please help me id this weed: It seems to be an annual legume with foliage like a mimosa, grows 1-2 feet tall. Has seed pods that turn dark brown in Fall, a couple of inches long. The flower looks like a bright yellow sweet pea. Grows in huge groundcover-type patches. Thanks!

-- Georg Kotarski (dgkotarski@bledsoe.net), February 14, 2002

Answers

Response to weed id

Here are links to two sources for help with plant problems, Texas has one also at A&M Univ., am sure that other exist. If you have a picture of the weed/problem, then contact one of these sources first and see about emailing them a picture for identification. This seems to be a great resource.

http://plants.okstate.edu/Pddl/ Oklahoma State University The primary goal of the Plant Disease and Insect Diagnostic Laboratory (PDIDL) is to provide residents in the State of Oklahoma with both accurate diagnoses of plant diseases and insect pests and recommendations for their control. The PDIDL operates throughout the year to provide plant disease and insect identification services to extension agents, individuals, consultants, and commercial producers.

http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/Default.htm C O R N E L L U N I V E R S I T Y The Clinic is designed to provide plant disease diagnostic services for anyone interested in plant diseases. Our services include analysis of plant material and soil for bacterial, fungal, viral, and nematode pathogens as well as suggesting appropriate control measures when available. Our clients include Extension Educators, Growers, Retailers, Arborists, Golf Courses, Researchers, and Homeowners.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), February 14, 2002.


Response to weed id

Where are you? Assuming you in a fairly warm climate, it sounds like you're talking about Rattlebox... Crotolaria sp. There are several species of this weed. Do the seed pods resemble a large peanut... and, from the name, do they rattle when brown and mature? If it is Rattlebox, it is a very common weed... a champion pioneer of newly disturbed areas. Found along frequently mowed right of ways and road side ditches. I thought I read somewhere that cattle refuse to eat it??? From what I've seen it very prolific.

I would control a mature patch of Rattlebox by burning. Any survivors should not be allowed to go to seed... keep it mowed to prevent infestation. It will not reproduce vegetatively (ie the plant needs seed distribution to spread).

I learned this from my many years of plant biology related work here in NW Florida.

Chow - Otter

-- otter (kitchen@eng.fsu.edu), February 14, 2002.


Well, if the foliage looks like mimosa and it has a yellow pea-like flower I'd suspect one of the species of senna though it could also be sesbania. They're mildly to fairly toxic to livestock like the Crotolaria species that Otter mentions and tends to cover good sized areas in favorable conditions.

Take a look at these URLs and see if what you've got is one of them. Chances are it's senna, sesbania or crotolaria.

Toxicity to Poultry of Common Weed Seeds

Coffee Senna, Cassia occidentalis

Sickle Pod

Hemp Sesbania

.......Alan.

-- Alan (athagan@atlantic.net), February 14, 2002.


From Alan's link, I learned that I did have sicklepod even though that wasn't what I was referring to. I least I know that. The weed I'm wondering about has much finer leaves than sicklepod and is on previously abandoned farm land in Tennessee. The seedpods are flat. I'll look into the other info you guys sent, too. Thanks to everyone.

-- Georg Kotarski (dgkotarski@bledsoe.net), February 14, 2002.

If the leaves are finer than sicklepod take a close look at the various sesbania species because their leaves are rather fine. If it's not one of those species you've got me stumped.

If you do positively identify it let us know!

.........Alan.

-- Alan (athagan@atlantic.net), February 14, 2002.



My educated guesstimate is that you have "Sesbania macrocarpa," which looks like this:



If this photo doesn't show, go to this site:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_PS052.html

--Happy trails, Cabin Fever

-- Cabin Fever (cabinfever_mn@yahoo.com), February 14, 2002.

A skip down to your Country Extension Service will answer your question(with a sample in hand of leaves and blooms). The above posts have probably already answered your question though. If you were here in the Northwest I'd be thinking Scotch Broom but after reading your post again and then looking at the neat photo supplied I am probably off base. How interesting! LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), February 14, 2002.

I think I've got it! It's Partridge Pea!! (Cassia sp) Thanks to all for the neat links. I had fun looking at all the other weeds, too, and probably have some of them as well. I've read that partridge pea can be toxic to cattle but apparently okay for goats. Anybody have experience with this?

-- GeorgTN (dgkotarski@bledsoe.net), February 14, 2002.

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