Goosegrass

Goosegrass                   Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.

Family:  Poaceae
Life cycle:   Annual
Native status: Introduced
Habitat:   Turf, waste areas.  Often found in compacted soils.

General description:  Prostrate growth habit in closely mown turf, in other areas can be upright. Leaves folded in bud resulting in flat stems.  Seedheads consist of 2-6 spikes with two rows of spikelets; individual spikes coarser than those of crabgrass.

Key ID traits:  Membranous ligule; flat stems.  Tillers radiate outward parallel to soil surface.  Leaf sheaths at crown are white to silver in color.

Similar species:  Growth habit and seedheads are similar to crabgrass, but flat stems and larger inflorescences of goosegrass simplify identification.

Miscellaneous:  Also called silver crabgrass due to light color of the crown area.  Goosegrass is a bigger problem in the southern U.S. than Iowa.

Goosegrass tillers
Goosegrass tillers radiate from, stems of tillers are flat due to folded leaves.
Goosegrass inflorescence branches
Like crabgrass, goosegrass inflorescences have finger-like branches, but the individual branches of goosegrass are much thicker.