Weed Profiles

More on: Turfgrass Weeds Research

Basketgrass

Philip Busey

Is it really a weed?

It looks a lot like dayflower from this flattened image, but is more slender and wiry.

Homeowners in central Florida have been commenting about basketgrass, Oplismenus hirtellus, being a weed problem in their St. Augustinegrass lawns.  According to the University of South Florida's Atlas of Flowering Plants, the species is found in most counties of Florida, and occurs naturally in moist hammocks.

It looks like a miniature bamboo, yet it has papery leaves and seems too tender to be a weed.

Wayne Barfield wrote in September 1989 (What's this weed?), "I'm trying to find the real name for a weedy, vining, groundcover we're seeing more and more in St. Augustine turf almost always in low, wet, shady areas of lawns and usually under oak tree canopies. I've referred to it as "Basketgrass" in the past but after researching Basketgrass, I find that it's actually an aquatic weed similar to hydrilla. Any help greatly appreciated."

Same plant.  Not aquatic.

Other information on distribution

http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/maps.asp?plantID=3707