Stem

0.5-2 ft. tall; slender; round in cross-section

Leaves

4-12 in. long, less than 0.12 in. wide; sometimes covered with short hairs; collar region usually has long hairs, auricles and a membranous ligule

Flower

Seedhead is a spike, 0.5-2 in. long; awns are stiff, straight or twisted, barbed and up to 3 in. long; spikes often remain intact on dry plants through winter

Root

Fibrous

Other

Grows best on clay soils; primarily infests rangeland; known to occur in Churchill, Elko, Humboldt, Lyon, Pershing, and Washoe counties
Annual; reproduces by seed; matures 2-4 weeks later than other annual grasses
Unpalatable to grazing animals due to high levels of silica in the foliage and long, stiff awns

Control

Tillage, mowing or grazing prior to seed set can reduce stands; burning has had mixed results; most effective with a hot, slow fire prior to seed maturity but after other species have dried-down; burning can also be used to reduce the thatch layer, which can increase the performance of soil-applied herbicides
Apply imazapic, indaziflam, or sulfometuron preemergence or to small, actively growing plants; glyphosate to actively growing plants

Blecker, L., Creech, E., Dick, J., Gephart, S., Hefner, M., Kratsch, H., Moe, A., Schultz, B. 2020, Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Medusahead, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Field Guide

Extension Associated Contacts

Heidi Kratsch

Also of Interest:


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Associated Programs

Master Gardeners of Nevada

Program trains local gardeners to provide research-based horticulture information to Nevadans.

Green Industry Training

A workforce development program to train green industry professionals, who receive continuing education units for pesticide applicator, ISA-certified arborist and Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper

Garden plant and pest sprayers image by Olga Seifutdinova from Getty Images

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a strategy that reduces pests to tolerable levels with lower costs for the pest manager or home gardener and minimal effect on the environment. The IPM program at University of Nevada, Reno Extension focuses on identification and public education with resources for the community including classes, Spanish language resources and a pest directory.

Nevada Noxious Weed Field Guide – Medusahead