Field sandbur

June 10, 2015

Cenchrus incertus M.A. Curtis Poaceae (Grass family)

Life cycle

Prostrate to ascending summer annual.

field sandbur mature plant
Field sandbur mature plant.

Leaves

Leaves are folded in the bud, sparsely hairy with a rough texture. Heavily compressed leaf sheaths are hairless at maturity with hairy margins.

field sandbur seedling
Field sandbur seedling.

Ligule

Hairy ring.

field sandbur hairy ligule
Field sandbur hairy ligule.

Stems

Prostrate to ascending stems up to 1.5 feet tall are capable of rooting at the nodes. Mature stems are often compressed with swollen nodes.

Flowers and fruit

The seedhead is a slender unbranched spike made up of bur-like seeds. Each spike has five to 15 ovoid burs.

Reproduction

Seeds.

field sandbur seedhead
Field sandbur seedhead.

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