Eleusine Indica, or goosegrass as it is commonly known, is a grass from the family Poaceae.
It is an aggressive plant considered an invasive weed in many countries in Europe, Asia, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and many Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Scientific Classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Subkingdom: Tracheobionta
- Superdivision: Spermatophyta
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Liliopsida
- Subclass: Commelinidae
- Order: Cyperales
- Family: Poaceae Barnhart
- Genus: Eleusine Gaertn
- Species: Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.
- Common Names: Bullgrass, crowfoot grass, dog grass, Dutch grass, fowlfoot grass, goosegrass, goose foot grass, Indian goosegrass, wire grass, and yard grass.
Nativity and Distribution
It is native to Africa and temperate and tropical Asia. It is distributed almost throughout the tropical world and significantly extends to the subtropics, which are mostly North America, Europe, and Africa.
Physical Appearance
- Leaves: Mostly basal, medium to dark green leaf blades.
- Flowers: Spikelets consist of 3-9 florets without bristles.
- Seeds: Reddish-brown to black seeds they are oblong with conspicuous ridges.
- Stem: Tufted erect geniculately ascending or decumbent; they are slender.
- Fruit: An indehiscent dry fruit, caryopsis, or grain.
- Roots: Its root system is fibrous and extensive. It never roots at the nodes.
Flowering stems known as culms are held erect and lying parallel to the ground. It has narrow linear leaves that are 3-8mm wide and occurs in alternate leaf arrangement that is one leaf per point along the stem. The leaf blade may be folded or lie flat.
The leaves are mostly hairless. except occasionally, they may have sparse, long hairs on the upper surface near the base. The base of the leaf which wraps around the leaf sheath is smooth.
The seedhead has 2-13 fingerlike spikes that are 2 to 6 inches long and 1/10 to 1/3 inches wide at the top of the stems.
Typically, one spike is below the other which is clustered toward the tip. Under each spike are two rows of 3-6 seeds, which are brown to black and 1/13 inch long.
Life Cycle/Reproduction/Dispersal
- Lifecycle: Annual.
- Seeds: Reproduction is by seeds.
- Climate: It can grow in low altitudes in tropical and subtropical regions.
- Dispersal: It spreads by seeds. A single plant can produce over 50,000 seeds which are easily dispersed by wind or water. Livestock also disperses the seeds in their droppings.
Goosegrass spreads by reseeding itself. It has abundant seed production and seeds germinate at or near the surface of moist soils.
Seed germination completely stops if seeds are buried deeper than three inches. Its persistence is due to abundant seed production and its tolerance to close mowing.
Control
Cultural Control
It thrives in poorly drained soils and high-traffic areas such as lawns, sports fields, and golf courses. Cultural practices such as proper mowing, pest, and fertility management help prevent goosegrass infestation.
It is also important to improve soil conditions to help the grass outcompete the goosegrass. Soil aeration and drainage can be improved by core aeration and the altering of traffic patterns.
Mechanical Control
Mechanical control is much easier for goosegrass compared to most weeds because it has a centralized root system but can be labor-intensive if the weeds are many.
Herbicidal Control
For effective control, multiple pre- and post-emergence herbicides are used in established turf. Numerous postemergence herbicides are available for the control of goosegrass.
Caution should be taken when applying these herbicides as they can injure turf if applied imprecisely.
Most preemergence herbicides that control crabgrass (Digitaria spp) can also be used to control goosegrass. It is important when choosing a herbicide for goosegrass control to ensure that it is labeled for the turf and use area where it is to be applied.
Post-emergence applications for goosegrass should be done after it has germinated.
Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.