Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

    Dandelion - is a winter perennial. The dandelion has thick fleshy tap root which often branches. New plants come from the root and root segments. Leaves form in a rosette, are deeply lobed, with the lobes pointing toward the base. Both the leaves and flower stems contain a white milky fluid. The flowers are yellow and are individual stems. The seeds are brown with tip containing white hairs. The yellow flower will turn to a white globular puff ball. The seeds are disseminated by wind. Dandelions spread by both seed and stems from the root.

    Spreading Dayflower - is an annual with multiple branches that spreads by taking root from nodes along stems. Stems are smooth with lance shaped leaves in sheaths having a few soft hairs. Flowers have three blue petals, two of which are partly fused. Flowers last one day, giving the plant its common name. Dayflower reproduces from seed and from nodes along stems. Stem fragments will also reproduce. Dayflower prefers rich, moist soil conditions.

    Purple (or red) Deadnettle - is a winter annual often confused with henbit (Lamuim amplexicaule). Both weeds have square stems and belong to the mint family. The leaves of purple deadnettle are triangular in shape and less deeply lobed than henbit. The upper leaves of deadnettle are red to purple in color. The leaves of purple deadnettle have petioles with the petioles of the lower leaves being longer than the upper leaves. The flowers of purple dead nettle are light purple in color. The flowers are arranged in whorls and form in the axis of the upper leaves. Purple deadnettle spreads by seeds.

    Dodder - an annual plant that consists of thin thread-like stems that are orange in color which attach to a host plant, belongs to the dodder (cuscutaceae) family, which includes many species. At one time dodder was classified in the morning glory family. Dodder is a true parasitic plant. Unlike other parasitic plants such as mistletoe, which have green leaves, only extract water and nutrients from host plants. Dodder has no leaves and must extract carbohydrates from the host plant. Dodder produces small clusters of white to pink flowers in the early summer. Dodder spreads primarily by seeds which have the capability of surviving in the soil up to sixty years. When dodder seed germinates, establishment is dependent upon host plant availability. If a host plant is not within 1 - 3 inches of the initial germinating seed the seedling will die. When the dodder seedling emerges, it develops a small ineffective root which can support the seedling for only a couple of days. Upon germination, the small dodder seedling sways around in search of the host plant. When a host plant is contacted, the dodder coils around the host in a counter-clockwise direction. Small sucking appendages called "haustoria" are produced that penetrate the host plant and extract food. Once the haustoria begin to extract food, the small initial root dies. Dodder can grow up to 3 inches per day and continually produces new haustoria to drain the host plant of nutrients.

    Dog Fennel - is a short-lived summer perennial. The leaves of dog fennel are divided into thread-like segments, giving a fern like appearance. The leaves will omit a foul odor. The stems of dog fennel are reddish in color, hairy and arise from a woody base. The flowers of dog fennel are small and white in color. The flowers are numerous and are borne on branched panicles. Dog fennel spreads by seed, and regrowth from the woody base.

    Pennywort - also called dollarweed, is a summer perennial weed. The leaves of pennywort are round in shape, approximately 1 inch in diameter. The dark green leaves are glossy, with scalloped edges and are on long slender petioles. The petiole of pennywort is attached to the center of the leaf, not to be confused with dichondra in which the petiole is attached to the edge of the kidney shaped leaf. The pennywort flower is small with 5 white petals and forms in clusters on the end of long stems. Pennywort spreads by seed and rhizomes.

    Dovefoot - geranium is a biannual plant very similar to the annual Carolina geranium. Dovefoot geranium has slender, weak hairy stems which branch and spread across the surface of the soil. The leaves are palmately lobed. The alternating rounded leaves of dovefoot geranium are not as deeply cut as the leaves of Carolina geranium. Dovefoot geranium spreads by seeds which germinate in fall into the early spring. Bright dark pink to red violet flowers are present in late spring. The seeds of dovefoot geranium are smooth, unlike the wrinkled seeds of Carolina geranium. Flowers of both plants are borne on stalks from the upper nodes. The fruit of both species are born on conspicuous stalks (cranesbill). The fruit stalk of dovefoot geranium is ¼ inch long and is much smaller than the ½ inch fruit stalk of Carolina geranium.

    Field Madder - is a prostrate growing winter annual. Due to its growth habit, mats are formed in the turf. The leaves form in whorles around the stem which is square. The leaves are pointed and elliptical in shape. Field madder spreads by seed which is produced in flowers at the tip of the stem. The flowers are pink to lavender in color and occur in the spring.

   Field Pennycress - is a annual or winter annual weed. Field pennycress initially grows in a basal rosette, but has a erect flowering stem. The auricles at the base of the leaf are pointed. A similar species, throughwort pennycress has rounded auricles. Basal leaves do not remain when the plant matures and the seed stem is produced. Field pennycress spreads by seed. The flowers of field pennycress are white and produced in dense racemes. The seed pods (silicles) are produced along the flowering stem. They are distinctly winged with a notch at the tip.

    Filaree - are winter annual members of the geranium family. Filaree has a shallow coarse tap root. The feather like compound densely-haired leaves form from a prostrate basal rosette. The leaves consist of 5 - 9 opposite leaflets which are deeply cut. The leaves of white stem filaree are broader and the leaflets are less deeply cut than red stem filaree. Stems are also hairy, grow low and spreading. The flowers of filarees form umbrella shaped clusters which are pink to purplish in color and contain 5 petals. Filaree reproduces by seed.