Weeds and Leaf Structures

Plant Families and Common Weeds

• Fabaceae (Legumes & Peas)

  • Notable Plants:

  • Lentils

  • peas

  • Faba beans

• Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

  • Common Weeds:

  • Stinkweed

  • Mustard

• Malvaceae (Mallow Family)

  • Notable Plants:

  • Roundleaf mallow

• Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

  • Common Weeds:

  • Dandelion

  • Canada thistle

• Rubiaceae (Madder Family)

  • Notable Plants:

  • Madder (specific plants not listed)

• Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family)

  • Common Weeds:

  • Wild buckwheat

  • Field dock

• Rubiaceae (Goosefoot Family)

  • Notable Plants:

  • Kochia

  • Russian thistle

• Amaranthaceae (Amaranth Family)

  • Common Weeds:

  • Red root pigweed

  • Prostrate pigweed

• Caryophyllaceae (Pink Family)

  • Common Weeds:

  • Baby's breath

  • Chickweed

Leaf Shapes

• Categories of Leaf Shapes:

  • Linear

  • Lanceolate

  • Oblanceolate

  • Oblong

  • Oval

  • Reniform

  • Cordate

  • Deltoid

  • Trifoliate

  • Compound palmate

  • compound pinnate

  • Simple palmate

  • Simple pinnate

Leaf Margins

• Categories of Leaf Margins:

  • Entire

  • Finely divided

  • Lobed

  • Scalloped

  • Toothed

Grass Anatomy

• Components of Grass Plants:

  • Blade

  • Ligule

  • Auricles

  • Sheath

Categories of Weeds

• Weeds are categorized into 3 main groups:

  1. Prohibited Weeds

  • Description: Weeds that must be eradicated from the area.

  • Examples:

    • Poison hemlock

    • Garlic mustard

  1. Noxious Weeds

  • Description: Weeds recognized for their detrimental impacts.

  • Examples:

    • Kochia

    • Japanese brome

  1. Nuisance Weeds

  • Description: Weeds that are troublesome but not severe.

  • Examples:

    • Dandelion

    • Russian thistle