How to Identify Flixweed (Descurainia Sophia)
This is Flixweed, a native of Eurasia that is an invasive weed in North America. It is a winter annual that blooms in the spring.



The plant forms a small rosette from which grows a tall, thin branched stem. The stems are rough in texture, with a covering of tiny short white hairs, and are often tinged red or purple.




The leaves are very finely and pinnately compounded 2 to 3 times, and may have a covering of small hairs, which are often branched. The leaves change dramatically as they climb up the stems, becoming much thinner and very featherlike as they reach the top of the stems.




The flowers grow in tight, small racemes at the top of each branch of the stem. They are tiny, and have a vibrant yellow or greenish color. After pollination, they will produce long, thin seed pods that will line the stem in a distinctive fashion. The pods are 1 to 1 ½ inches in length, and can be identified by 2 to 3 ridges running along their length. They will split open to reveal many tiny orange seeds.




Flixweed likes full sun and plenty of moisture. It is common in cultivated fields, gardens, pastures, roadsides, and waste areas.




Flixweed can be extremely toxic to cattle if consumed in large quantities





Sources:


Weeds of the West, 5th Edition (1991) by Tom D. Whitson, published by the Western Society of Weed Science





University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources IPM – Weed Gallery


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United States Department of Agriculture – Plant Database


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