How to Manage Pests

Identification: Weed Photo Gallery

Corn spurry

Scientific name: Spergula arvensis (Pink Family: Caryophyllaceae)

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Corn spurry is a summer or winter annual broadleaf plant. It is more common in coastal regions. In California is found on the North Coast, in the San Francisco Bay region, Central Coast, Central Valley, western South Coast Ranges, South Coast, and possibly in other areas, to about 2400 feet (730 m). It inhabits agricultural land and other disturbed locations. Leaves may contain compounds called oxalates, which can be toxic to livestock if consumed in quantity. Corn spurry seeds can survive for many years when buried in soil.

Habitat

Disturbed areas, roadsides, crop fields, orchards, vineyards, gardens, landscaped areas, sand dunes, and coniferous woodland.

Seedling

Seedlings are slightly fleshy. The cotyledons (seed leaves) are linear, about 2/5 of an inch (1 cm) long, fuse at their base and have a rounded tip. The first few leaves are linear, about 2/5 to 4/5 of an inch (1–2 cm) long, hairless or have short glandular hairs, and are opposite to one another along the stem. Although they resemble the first leaves, later leaves are longer and are in a whorl around the stem at the stem joints (nodes).

Mature plant

Corn spurry grows to about 20 inches (50 cm) long in an upright or spreading form and it mostly branches at the base. Its leaves are narrow, slightly fleshy, flexible, and hairless or have short glandular hairs, and sometimes is sticky to the touch. Leaves are stalkless and are arranged in whorls around the stem at the stem joints (nodes).

Flower

Flowering takes place from February through October. Small, five-petaled, white flowers on long, slender stalks cluster at the end of the flowering stem.

Fruit

Fruit consists of smooth, egg-shaped capsules that are usually about 1/6 to 1/4 of an inch (4–6 mm) long.

Seeds

Seeds are tiny, 1/25 to 1/12 of an inch (1–2 mm) in diameter, dull gray to black, and circular to oval lens shaped.

Reproduction

Reproduce by seed.

Related/similar species

Birdseye pearlwort
Carpetweed (Mollugo verticillatus)

More information

• Broadleaf ID illustration
• Calflora's distribution map
• See UC IPM's Pest Management Guidelines for agricultural information