Goatsrue
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Figure 1 |
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Figure 7 |
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Figure 8 |
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Figure 9 |
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Scientific Name:
Galega officinalis
Common Names: Goatsrue, Goat’s rue, Professor weed
Habitats:
Cropland, water-ways, pastures, fencelines, roadways, and wet, marshy areas
| Key ID Features |
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Perennial legume that ranges from 2-6 feet in height. (Figure 1) |
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Alternate, pinnately compound leaves with 6-10 pairs of leaflets (1- 5cm long). Tip of each leaflet has a small hair-like appendage. (Figure 2) |
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Stipules (leaf-like appendage at the base of each leaf) are arrowhead shaped. (Figure 3) |
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Stems are hollow and cylindrical. |
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Purple to white, pea-like flowers are borne in terminal or axillary racemes containing 20-50 flowers. Plant blooms from June throughout the growing season. (Figure 4) |
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Seed pods are narrow and about 1 inch long. (Figure 5) |
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Seeds are dull yellow, bean shaped and approximately 2.5-3mm long. (Figure 6) |
Similar species:
| Wild Licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota) |
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Stems are solid. |
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Seed pods are bur-like with hooked bristles. (Figure 7) |
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Mature leaves have glandular dots. |
| Vetches (Vicia spp.) |
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Trailing and vine-like |
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Terminal leaf modified into a twining tendril. |
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Mature pods are flat. (Figure 8) |
| Crown vetch (Coronilla varia) |
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Trailing and vine-like |
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Flowers arranged in an umbel (all flowers radiate from a central point). (Figure 9) |
Fact sheets and references:
Goatsrue wanted poster from Massachusetts
http://massnrc.org/pests/linkeddocuments/Goat%27s-Rue.pdf
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Plant Profile for Galega officinalis L.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=GAOF
Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board: Goatsrue
http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weed_info/Written_findings/Galega_officinalis.html
King County Noxious Weed Program Pest Alert for Goatsrue
http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/lands/weeds/pdf/Goatsrue_factsheet.pdf
Goatsrue, Galega officinalis, in Pennsylvania by Katrina Klugh
Regulatory Horticulture Weed Circular No. 22 Fall 1998
http://www.invasive.org/eastern/other/vol24_10.pdf
Wanted Poster by the Nevada Weeds Project
http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/ho/other/fs9906.pdf
last reviewed February 15, 2008 |
