Carpetweed

Carpetweed (Aizoaceae family):

Mollugo verticillata L.

EPPO code:

MOLVE

Other names:

Mollugo

Species information

Lifecycle:

Annual

Propagation:

Reproduces by seeds.

Emergence:

Being of tropical origin, carpetweed germinates later than most annual weed species.

Habitat:

Carpetweed is found mainly on sandy soil, but also across a number of different environments, including in row crops and waste areas.

Competitiveness:

Because of its prostrate growing habit, it is not very competitive against crops that produce a tall, thick canopy.

Identification clues

Seedling

Cotyledons:

Oblong, thick and smooth.

Young leaves:

Young leaves form a basal rosette. They are narrow at the base and become wider towards the rounded apex (tip). Leaves are hairless.

Mature leaves:

The shape of carpetweed’s mature leaves remain similar to its young leaves, but they are narrower and grow in whorls of 3–8 leaves at each stem node. Mature leaves are also hairless.

Mature plant

Stems:

The weed’s stem is thin, smooth and prostrate. There is much branching, allowing the plant to form carpet-like patches.

Flowers:

Carpetweed’s flowers are small, five-petal and white. They grow in clusters with 2–5 flowers in the leaf axils.

Seeds:

The weed’s seeds are flat, kidney shaped and 0.5 mm long. They are orange-red to brown in colour.

Roots:

Taproot

Often mistaken for

I know it's not Chickweed because carpetweed has mature leaves that are whorled, while chickweed leaves are not whorled. Chickweed’s small, white five-petal flowers are deeply lobed, giving it the appearance of having 10 petals; carpetweed’s flowers have five petals but are without lobes.

I know it's not Purslane because carpetweed has thin green stems and thin flat leaves while purslane has reddish fleshy stems and fleshy leaves. The flowers of purslane are yellow.

I know it's not Petty spurge because it has no latex when broken which is the case with spurges.