''Soliva sessilis'', one of up to nine species of the genus '' Soliva'', is a low-growing

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

annual plant An annual plant is a plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to the production of seeds, within one growing season, and then dies. The length of growing seasons and period in which they take place vary according to geographical ...

. Its common names include field burrweed, Onehunga-weed, lawn burrweed, lawnweed, and common soliva. It is one of several plants known as bindi weed, bindii, or bindi-eye. A

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...

y plant known for its tiny sharp-needled seeds. It appears with small feathery leaves reminiscent of

parsley Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to the central and eastern Mediterranean region (Sardinia, Lebanon, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey, southern Italy, Greece, Por ...

, with an exposed upward-pointing rosette of seeds in a pod nestled at the branch junctions. Eventually small flowers appear if the plant is allowed to develop. Those familiar with the plant may also know it as "bindi patches", which can't be walked on barefoot. Dogs and cats are no less affected and tend to avoid areas where they have encountered it. Originally native to South America, the plant is now well established in many places around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, southwest France, Hawaii, California, and several other states in the United States. It is mainly found in parks and ovals, though it has also become an invasive species in lawns in the southeast USA, Australia and New Zealand. Bindi weed can be manually removed by pulling it out at the root, usually when it's grown big, and started to flower, and before seeding—especially after rain when the ground is softer. A hand tool that pinches the tap root and enables some leverage while getting in under the central core is the best method. Bindi can be treated with

herbicide Herbicides (, ), also commonly known as weedkillers, are substances used to control undesired plants, also known as weeds.EPA. February 201Pesticides Industry. Sales and Usage 2006 and 2007: Market Estimates. Summary in press releasMain page fo ...

. Late winter and early spring are the best times to destroy the weed before its seeds germinate. Effective herbicides are typically combinations of

MCPA MCPA (2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid) is a powerful, selective, widely used phenoxy herbicide. The pure compound is a brown-colored powder. MCPA has been extensively used in agriculture to control broad-leaf weeds as a growth regulator prima ...

and

Dicamba Dicamba (3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid) is a broad-spectrum herbicide first registered in 1967. Brand names for formulations of this herbicide include Dianat, Banvel, Diablo, Oracle and Vanquish. This chemical compound is a chlorinated de ...

, which target broad-leaved plants but not grasses. These chemicals have similar effects as natural plant

auxin Auxins (plural of auxin ) are a class of plant hormones (or plant-growth regulators) with some morphogen-like characteristics. Auxins play a cardinal role in coordination of many growth and behavioral processes in plant life cycles and are essenti ...

s, and their increased concentrations cause unnatural plant growth which kill the plant. Mowing

grass Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

to a higher level will allow more competitive plants to thrive in the area. Bindi weed also favours compacted ground, so aerating the soil should also reduce the presence of the plant

References

* C.Michael Hogan, ed. 2010
sessilis''
Encyclopedia of Life
Jepson Manual Treatment

External links

Flora of North AmericaWashington Burke MuseumPhoto gallery
Anthemideae {{Anthemideae-stub