Common grass in arable fields. Seed heads stick to clothing different species exist; S. verticillata sticks to clothing and has appointed seed head. S pumila above tends not to stick to clothing and has an orange colour around the seed head which is much more cylindrical.
Important grazing grass, prefers cooler and wet conditions hence tends to be found at altitude notably Mau Narok. Highly resistant to many herbicides around the world. The stem base is distinctively red, but it can be distinguished from Setaria Grasses by the lack of hairs on the leaf, and the shiny back of the leaf.
Fast growing annual grass that competes aggressively with cereals. Short dormancy, but tends to change its favoured period of germination quickly to survive stale seedbed techniques. Can produce several thousand seeds per plant.
Small yellow flowers on a tall stem, and strong smell that can contaminate the grain sample at harvest. Leaves vary from long oval to fern-like. One of the few weeds that is resistant to atrazine. Competitiveness Moderate
Couch grass looks like just a tuft of any grass, but underneath the ground the roots form a dense network. It spreads rapidly by means of thin, wiry and sharp-ended rhizomes.
