Botanical name: Parthenium hysterophorus    Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)

Carrot Grass is native to the subtropics of North and South America. It is a fast-maturing annual (or, under certain conditions, a short-lived perennial) with a deep tap root and an erect stem that becomes woody with age. It may eventually reach a height of 2 m. Its leaves are pale green, branched and covered with soft fine hairs. The small white flower-heads (4 mm across) have five distinct corners and grow on the stem tips. Each flower produces 4-5 black wedge-shaped seeds that are 2 mm long with thin white scales. It is considered a highly invasive weed. Its large and persistent soil seedbank, fast germination rate and ability to undergo dormancy make it well adapted to semi-arid environments. It also releases chemicals that inhibit the germination and growth of pasture grasses and other plants.

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The flower labeled Carrot Grass is ...