Doveweed
Common Name:
doveweed
Scientific Name:
Murdannia nudiflora
Family:
Commelinaceae
Lifecycle:
Annual
Features
Non-grass monocot similar to spreading dayflower. Glabrous leaves 5 to 8 cm in length and 1 cm in width. Leaf sheath circling the stem similar to grass plant, green to purple with parallel venation. Small purplish flowers with three petals and three bracts. Flowers usually last less than one day and are extremely small. Seeds relatively large compared to other non-grass monocots– 2 to 3 mm in diameter.
Description
Annual plant common in wet, shaded areas in turfgrass. Prominent weed in St. Augustinegrass turf and other shaded turfgrass areas. Few selective control measures in turfgrass areas. Tower (dimethenamid) is effective for preemergence. Atrazine, Solitaire (sulfentrazone + quinclorac), and Celsius (thiencarbazone, iodosulfuron, and dicamba) will control doveweed postemergence; however, sometimes repeat applications are needed and there are limitations to use areas with respect to herbicide labeling.