Setaria verticillata is a species of grass known by the common names hooked bristlegrass, rough bristle-grass and bristly foxtail. It is native to Europe, but it is known on most continents as an introduced species and often a noxious weed.
It is a hardy bunchgrass which grows in many types of urban, cultivated, and disturbed habitat. It is a weed of many types of agricultural crops, growing in vineyards and fields. Herbicide-resistant strains have been noted.
This is an annual grass with decumbent or erect stems growing up to a meter long. The leaf blades are up to 25 centimeters long and have a long sheath around the stem. The inflorescence is a dense panicle up to 15 centimeters long which tapers at both ends. It contains many small spikelets and bristles. The bristles have tiny backwards-pointing barbs that help them hook onto clothing or animal fur, facilitating their dispersal.
This plant might be poisonous
How to get rid of:
Best controlled by eliminating the plant before it flowers. Since seeds can still mature even if the plant itself is killed, it is imperative to remove the plant from the area if there is any evidence of flowering. Seeds of common groundsel are not long-lived, usually remaining viable for about one year. Therefore, controlling this weed before flowering will have a great impact on the size of the next year's population.
