Field Madder

Sheradia arvensis

Field madder (Sheradia arvensis) a widespread annual weed commonly found in paddocks, pasture and grassland. It has sprawling and upright stems up to 40 cm long with a square cross-section, dark green pointed bristly leaves up to 15 m long in whorls of four lower on the stems, or six higher up. The tiny pale pink or lilac flowers are approximately 3 mm in the form of a cross and grow in groups of two or three out of a ring of six bracts between January and December. Fruit is round, dry and bristly containing two seeds (referred to as nutlets).

Related Pests

Cleavers

Galium aparine

Cleavers (Galium aparine) are a common, widespread annual weed found throughout New Zealand. A significant weed of cereal and horticultural crops and often found scrambling up fencelines and hedgerows Cleavers have a scrambling, clambering growth habit and “stickiness” due to tiny hooks on its stems and seeds.

Vetch

Vicia sativa

Throughout New Zealand, Vetch (Vicia sativa) is a very common weed, and varies in terms of leaf shape, flower number, size and colour and the size of the pod. Pinnate leaves bear four to eight pairs of linear leaflets, and end in branched tendrils at the end of the leaves. Pea-like flowers vary in colour from white, to pink to purple, and are found singly or in pairs, but not clusters. Flowers are up to 28mm long, and appear between August to June. The seed-pods are about 6cm long, brownish-black, and contain five to twelve seeds that are brown with dark spots. Found in gardens, grassland, waste and marshy areas, and on the edges of forests.

Vulpia Hair Grass

Vulpia spp

In New Zealand three species of Vulpia (Vulpia spp) are found and being very difficult to identify they are collectively known as vulpia hair grass (VHG) or silver grass, rat-tail or squirrel-tailed fescue. Left uncontrolled VHG is a very aggressive weed leading to very serious yield losses and reduced seed quality through contamination. When small VFG has very thin upright and hair-like leaves, hence its name, and it grows in a tufty manner. Germination generally takes place at the same time as the crop. Later when it comes into ear it develops the long silvery panicles which give it the other common names.