Ontario Weeds: Goose Grass

Table of Contents

1. Name
2. Other Names
3. Family
4. General Description
   • Photos and Pictures
5. Stems and Roots
6. Flowers and Fruit
7. Habitat
8. Similar Species
9. Related Links

Name: Goose grass, Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.

Other Names: eleusine de l'Inde

Family: Grass Family (Gramineae)

General Description: It is a low growing annual, rarely more than 30 cm (12in.) high, usually forming a densely leafy clump or tuft with few to many flowering stems.

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Photos and Pictures

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Stems & Roots: A very short, membranous ligule 0.5 mm (1/50in.) long, no auricles, and a split sheath with membranous margins that are somewhat hairy just below the collar.

Flowers & Fruit: Each spiketelet is 2 to 5-seeded and because of this the "seeds" appear to be very numerous and crowded on each spike. Flowers from July to November.

Habitat: Goose grass is an occasional weed in row crops, gardens, lawns and waste places in the Hamilton area and in southwestern Ontario.

Similar Species: May be confused with eirth Large or Smooth crabgrass because its inflorescence is similar, have 2 - 6 spikes or "fingers" at the end of eachstem. Although its spikes are also one-sided, they are much wider (3 - 5 mm, 1/8 - 1/5 in. wide) are rarely more than 5 cm (2 in.) long.

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Related Links

... on general Weed topics
... on weed identification, order OMAFRA Publication 505: Ontario Weeds
... on weed control, order OMAFRA Publication 75: Guide To Weed Control

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