What are hitchhikers weeds?
The group of weeds nicknamed the “hitchhikers” are seeds that stick to clothing and fur, making it difficult to dislodge them immediately. Their variously barbed adaptations ensure that the seeds will travel far and wide via animal locomotion, and most can be eventually shaken off down the road somewhere.
How many types of hitchhiker plants are there?
Types of Hitchhiker Plants There are at least 600 weed species that travel by hitchhiking with humans or on machines, 248 of which are considered noxious or invasive plants in North America. They come from every kind of plant, from herbaceous annuals to woody shrubs, and occupy every corner of the world.
Is there a hitchhiker plant in California?
One of the "super hitchhikers" of southern California, Baja California Norte, and the offshore California islands is a low-growing annual called "stick-tight" (Harpagonella palmeri). In the official Wayne"s Word Top 17 Hitchhikers, this species receives 10 SRDUs, although it is almost as difficult to remove from your socks as the previous species.
What is a hitchhiker fruit?
The amazing hitchhiker fruits are like miniature versions of the legendary Uncarinaof Madagascar. The fruit is covered with radiating spines, each spine tipped with several minute hooks or barbs resembling a tiny harpoon. In a related species (K. parvifolia) the barbs are scattered along the upper portion of each spine.
How do I get rid of Hitchhiker plants?
Hitchhiker weeds are almost impossible not to spread, but they can be gotten rid of in a garden by completely uprooting them, using herbicides, or using livestock to manage their growth. Manual removal of hitchhiker weeds is the best method and the only sure way to get rid of them without herbicides.
Are hitchhiker plants poisonous?
Once we do we learn quickly to identify it and steer clear. Yet this plant doesn't cause a rash or irritation. Neither is it poisonous or toxic in any way.
What are those plants called that stick to you?
Often remembered from childhood, goose grass or sticky willy has clinging hairs on its leaves, stem and seeds which stick to your clothes.
Where do hitchhikers grow?
One of the "super hitchhikers" of southern California, Baja California Norte, and the offshore California islands is a low-growing annual called "stick-tight" (Harpagonella palmeri).
Can my dog eat hitchhikers?
Whilst sticky weed is good for dogs to eat and perfectly common, it can also present a health warning sign. If your dog is eating sticky weed a lot, it can indicate that their body is not getting enough vitamins.
What is the sticky weeds in Florida?
Lawn burweed also goes by spurweed and stickerweed – and with good reason. Not only does this broadleaf weed ruin the appearance of lawns, but it also is painful and sticky if you happen to step on one barefoot or brush against one. This winter annual germinates in fall as temperatures cool.
What are hitchhikers that stick to your clothes?
What are Hitchhiker Weeds? Weed seeds spread in a variety of ways, whether traveling by water, by air, or on animals. The group of weeds nicknamed the “hitchhikers” are seeds that stick to clothing and fur, making it difficult to dislodge them immediately.
What are the spiky things that stick to your clothes?
spinosum). Spiny cocklebur is unmistakable with its stout, forked spines at the base of each leaf.] Each cocklebur fruit contains two seeds that may remain viable for many years. The prickly burs hook into your clothing and become tightly attached, like the Velcro® fasteners on shoes and day packs.
Can bedstraw cause a rash?
Animals also can be sensitive to bedstraw plants. If your dogs or cats wander where weeds are growing, they can suffer painful skin irritations as well.
How do I get rid of bedstraw weeds?
Once established, bedstraw can be controlled with several postemergent herbicides. Oxyfluorfen, glyphosate, quinclorac, diclobenil, or carfentrazone (available to professional applicators) can control small bedstraw plants, while products containing dicamba, 2,4-D, or MCPA can provide partial control.
What plant sticks tights?
Stick-tights, tickseeds or "Spanish needles, BIDENS ALBA. If you're up north and have a dog given to wandering the fields this time of year, surely that dog returns home covered by fruits similar to these, the "stick- tights," "tickseeds" or "Spanish needles" produced by several weedy species of the genus Bidens.
What are hitchhikers called?
What is another word for hitchhiker?wayfarerwanderervoyagerhikerbumglobetrotterexcursionistjourneyerpilgrimbackpacker69 more rows
What plant kills you instantly?
Deadly Nightshade The toxicity of belladonna has been known since the time of the Roman Empire when it was used by the ancient Romans to poison enemies. The flowers of this plant are small, reddish purple and tubular shaped, but it is the berries that are the most deadly part of the plant.
Is horse nettle poisonous to touch?
The leaves and young stems of this herbaceous plant are fitted with stinging hairs tipped with formic acid and other irritants. If touched, these needle-like hairs inject the stinging acid into the skin, triggering a burning, tingling sensation and an itchy rash.
Are stick tights poisonous?
DANGER! Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) is poisonous to humans and many animals. For those wondering about stick tights and poison hemlock, the poison hemlock seeds are not “sticky”. Unfortunately the name “stick tight” is used for many different plants that have seeds that stick to clothing and animal fur.
What happens if you touch Larkspur?
Larkspur is so pretty that children often just can't resist touching them, but even brief contact with the flowers or leaves can irritate the skin. And, if you ignore the warning sign of this plant's strong, acrid taste, you could die – it's packed full of potent alkaloids.
What is the byproduct of hitchhiking weeds?
One byproduct of hitchhiking weeds has been the invention of Velcro. One half of this product resembles coarse fabric and the other side mimics the texture of a cocklebur, a hitchhiking agronomic weed pest.
What was the purpose of hitchhiking?
In a simpler time hitchhikers were commonly provided a ride to a predetermined spot on the map. In exchange they provided companionship and conversation to the driver.
What is the name of the weed in the Panhandle?
Hackelia virginiana is another hitchhiker currently active in the panhandle. Common names for this weed include Beggar’s Lice, Sticktight and Stickseed and mothers countywide have removed these from their children’s clothing.
Is wildflower a pollinator?
Additionally, it is a popular late-season source of pollen for honeybees and other pollinators.
What is the name of the Mexican beggar tick?
This Mexican species of beggar-ticks ( Bidens aequisquama) has showy flowers. Foxtail barley ( Hordeum murinum ssp. leporinum) A casual walk through a grassy field in southern California will very likely result in one or more spikelets of foxtail barley ( Hordeum murinum) embedded in your socks. In fact, foxtail barley should probably be placed in ...
What is the fruit of stick tight?
Fruits of stick-tight (Harpagonella palmeri )--an ultimate hitchhiker.
Why is Puncture Vine named Puncture Vine?
Puncture vine belongs to the caltrop family (Zygophyllaceae), so named because of the shape of the wicked fruits. At matury, the fruit dries and breaks apart into five seed-bearing sections called carpels. Each section is armed with several sharp spines that readily penetrate bicycle tires or your shoes.
Where does the Uncarina tree come from?
That is, until horticulturist John Trager of the marvelous Huntington Botanical Garden in San Marino, California told us about a fascinating tree from Madagascar ( Uncarina grandidieri ). This amazing species definitely goes to the top of our hitchhiker list with 12 SRDUs (Sock Removal Difficulty Units).
What is the act of pollen eating beetles?
According to C. Hanson ( Cactus and Succulent Journal Vol. 69, 1997), this act may be accomplished in nature by pollen-eating beetles. As the beetle chews on the anthers, the pasty pollen oozes out and gets on the beetle's thorax and elytra (outer wing coverings).
Why are Kramerias so interesting?
Kramerias are also quite fascinating because they are partially parasitic on the roots of nearby shrubs. S tick-tights or beggar's-ticks ( Desmodium cuspidatum) produces slender legume fruits that break into small, one-seeded joints covered with tiny barbed hairs.
Where did puncture vines originate?
The earliest reported collection of puncture vine in California was made at Port Los Angeles in 1903, presumably the result of a ballast dump.
Where to find Enchanter's Nightshade?
Apart from the gardens, other places you are likely to find the plant are at the base of old walls, woodlands, and hedgerows.
What is weed in plants?
Weeds are unwanted plants that are usually non-native. They spread across pretty quickly, often denying water and nutrient resources to the native plants.
How tall do beggarticks grow?
Their flowers are bright yellow and resemble daisies. The stems are slender and leafy, growing up to 5 feet in height. Beggarticks have sticky fish-like seeds that will attach to anything, including your socks or the fur of your pets.
Where are beggarticks found?
Beggarticks in the aster family are annoying weeds that will wreak havoc on your garden. They are spread across the United States and are also found in disturbed places.
How to identify a weed?
You should find it easy to identify the weed because its large dark green leaves appear oval to triangular. The upper leaf surface is hairy, while the lower leaf surfaces are pale green and wooly.
What are Palmer's leaves?
The leaves are generally lance-shaped with rolling edges. Palmer bears hairy green fruit from tiny white flowers that emerge from the leaf axils.
Do weed hitchhikers know how to hold good on clothing?
The other fun part is that they know how to hold good on our clothing, making them travel wide. Here is a list of the weed hitchhikers.
What Plants Do Hitchhiker Weeds Come From?
Hitchhiker weeds can come from over 500 plant species, so it is safe to say that they can come from every kind of plant. In North America, 248 of these plant species are considered invasive or noxious.
How Do You Kill Hitchhiker Weeds Without Herbicides?
Weeds can be killed without herbicides via manual removal, laying down plastic to bake the weeds to death, crowding them out with a cover crop, or by being burned with a controlled burn (be careful with this).
How Do I Get Rid of Prickly Weeds in My Garden?
Prickly weeds in gardens (either flower or vegetable) can be removed with either herbicide or by hand . Which method to use depends on the gardener and how close the weeds are to any edible foods.
What Kills Weeds Permanently?
The surest way to kill weeds permanently is by manual removal or the application of chemical weed killers and herbicides. Weeds can also be killed via manual removal, using heat, crowding them out, and sometimes by drought.
Coralline Algae (Red Algae Rhodophyta)
Coralline Algae is a type of red Algae in the order Corallinales. There are over 1600 known species with typical colors being purple, pink, and red but there are hundreds of different color variations, including blue, white, and green. It is a desirable algae to have in a saltwater aquarium and is an indication of a properly matured tank.
Reticulated Brittle Star (Ophionereis reticulata)
Size: Fully matured adults will have arms up to 10″ in length. Juveniles are most common and can be as small as a dime. Light green to tan; pentagonal disc with thin dark reticulated lines; long arms with dark banding. Inhabits sand and reefs, often only extending arms from within live rock to feed.
Blunt-Spined Brittle Star (Ophiocoma echinata)
Size: Fully matured adults will have arms up to 6 in. in length. Long heavy blunt arm spines; tan, grey, brown, or black disk with tiny granules; occasionally white to tan petal pattern noticeable on disk. Inhabits sand and reefs, often only extending arms from within live rock to feed.
Long-Spined Urchin (Diadema antillarum)
Size: spines are up to 8 in. long as adults. If found on live rock, almost always are juveniles. Numerous long thin, sharp spines. Exercise caution while handling; almost always black, occasionally white spines. Juveniles have spines that are black and white banded. Typically take shelter during the day and actively forage at night.
Variegated Urchin (Lytechinus variegatus)
Size: body to 4 in. Dense covering of short spines arranged in rows or clusters. Body is white; spines white, red, green, blue, brown, or purple. Spines are not sharp and would be difficult to puncture skin. It is common for them to collect several pieces of debris or shells and keep them on the topside of their body for camouflage.
Slate-Pencil Urchin (Eucidaris tribuloides)
Size: body to 2 in. Thick blunt spines that resemble a navel mine; reddish white with reddish brown banding, often encrusted appearing gray. Secondary short spines are white to off white. Nocturnal; will stay inside rock-work during the day, and actively forage at night. Beneficial to aquariums; will eat nuisance algae.
Starlet Coral (Siderastrea radians)
Size: 4-12 in. Colonies usually form flat encrusting plates, but occasionally grow in small irregular rounded domes. Surface is covered with small, deep-pitted corallites that often appear pinched in. Usually whitish to tan, occasionally rose colored. Center or corallite appears darker in color.
