A common roadside and garden weed. It is an annual grass producing an inflorescence with two or more narrow branches lined with tiny spikelets.

Structure: Prostrate or ascending growth with hairless leaves, sheaths, and stems that do not root at the node

Life Cycle: Summer annual

What To Look For: Dull green, sometimes purple-tinged leaves with margins that may be rough and sharply pointed, sparsely pubescent near the base, 1″ to 4″ long, and 1/8″ to 1/4″ wide

Growth Period: Mid-spring through summer