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Weed Seed: Odontites vernus subsp. serotinus (Red bartsia)

Family

Orobanchaceae

Synonyms

Odontites serotina

Common Name

Red bartsia

Regulation

Primary Noxious, Class 2 in the Canadian Weed Seeds Order, 2016 under the Seeds Act.

Distribution

Canadian: Occurs in AB, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK (Brouillet et al. 2016Footnote 1).

Worldwide: Native to Europe and temperate Asia and introduced in North America (USDA-ARS 2016Footnote 2). In the United States it is found in the northeast and Great Lakes regions (Kartesz 2011Footnote 3).

Duration of life cycle

Annual

Seed or fruit type

Seed

Identification features

Size

Shape

Surface Texture

Colour

Habitat and Crop Association

Cultivated fields, old fields, pastures, hay crops, native grasslands, roadsides and railway lines (Darbyshire 2003Footnote 4, Alberta Invasive Species Council 2014Footnote 5). Does not compete well with annual crops (Alberta Invasive Species Council 2014Footnote 5).

General Information

Red bartsia was first introduced into Manitoba in packing crates (Manitoba Agriculture, Food, and Rural Initiatives, n.dFootnote 6). It can be spread in contaminated hay, as a seed contaminant, or by sticking to clothing and equipment such as all-terrain vehicles (Alberta Invasive Species Council 2014Footnote 5).

Red bartsia is a semiparasite, being able to survive on its own but feeding off the roots of a wide range of grass and forb species when conditions are adverse (Alberta Invasive Species Council 2014Footnote 5).

Similar species

Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis)

Photos

Red bartsia (Odontites vernus subsp. serotinus) seeds
Red bartsia (Odontites vernus subsp. serotinus) seed
Red bartsia (Odontites vernus subsp. serotinus) seed
Red bartsia (Odontites vernus subsp. serotinus) seed, close-up of surface

Similar species

Similar species: Common eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) seeds
Similar species: Common eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) seed
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