Which warm-season grass is found frequently in thin bluegrass stands and has flattened stems that are white near the base and a fibrous root system making it difficult to pull?

• A. Goosegrass
• B. Bermudagrass
• C. Zoysia
• D. St Augustinegrass

Answer: (A)

Goosegrass is a warm-season weed that commonly shows up in thin stands of cool-season grasses like bluegrass. It has flattened, stolon-like stems that lie close to the soil and can look white at the base where they originate. This flattened growth form, combined with a mostly fibrous root system, makes the plant hard to pull out by hand and helps it persist in a turf that’s thinning or stressed. While other warm-season grasses can invade cool-season turf, the specific features of flattened stems with a pale base and a tough-to-pull root system are the hallmarks that point to goosegrass in this situation.