MWCA Library » Rush Skeletonweed http://www.mtweed.org/library To Strenthen, support, and coordinate weed management efforts in Montana. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:30:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Weed of the Week – Rush Skeltonweed http://www.mtweed.org/library/index.php/weed-of-the-week-rush-skeltonweed/ http://www.mtweed.org/library/index.php/weed-of-the-week-rush-skeltonweed/#comments Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:06:01 +0000 MWCA http://www.mtweed.org/library/?p=1032 Rush skeletonweed was accidentally introduced in the U.S. in the early 1900’s.  It was first discovered in Spokane, Washington in 1938.  Today, Idaho and Washington have serious infestations of this weed.  In Montana, Lincoln and Sanders Counties are battling sizable infestations.  The Montana Department of Agriculture has spent around $500,000 trying to control Rush skeletonweed in these counties.  It is extremely important for this plant to be located and eradicated before it is capable of spreading. 

 Concerns  Rush skeletonweed is a very difficult plant to control and it spreads very easily.  Seeds of this plant have been documented to travel up to 20 miles from the original plant via wind. The taproot of this weed can be 7 feet long and the roots can also spread laterally.  These lateral roots and root fragments can start new plants.  It also out competes native vegetation and creates poor wildlife habitat.

Identification  The bright yellow flowers of this plant are found in clusters of 2-5 blooms.  The sharp toothed leaves, which are similar to those of a dandelion, only occur at the base of the plant.  The stems of this plant are completely leafless but the base of the stem is covered with downward facing, coarse, brown hairs.  When this plant is broken off a milky substance will ooze out.  This long-lived perennial can grow to be up to 4 ft tall and can produce up to 20,000 seeds at a time.  

What can you do?  Large infestations of Rush skeletonweed are just over the border in neighboring states.  It is very important to take measures to prevent the spread of this weed into our county.  These seeds can be spread by traveling through infested areas and transported on vehicles, machinery, clothing and animals.  Prevention and immediate eradication is the goal for managing Rush skeletonweed.  Small infestations can be controlled by hand-pulling and digging, done diligently throughout the year and for up to 10 years.  Pulled plants should be burned to destroy the seeds and root system.  Mowing is ineffective because it will not sufficiently stress the plant.  Tillage will not work; it will spread the plant further.  There are several chemicals that are recommended for the control of Rush skeletonweed and for a list of these call your local weed district. There are three biological controls used on Rush skeletonweed and the most wide spread is a gall midge; this midge reduces seed production and deforms the plant.   If you have any questions about Rush skeletonweed please do not hesitate to contact us.

Visit the MWCA Weed ID pages for additional information and pictures of  rush skeletonweed.

This  articles was developed by Ravalli County.  If you would like to use this article  please contact Ravalli County Weed District Weed Coordinator at (406) 777-5842.

]]> http://www.mtweed.org/library/index.php/weed-of-the-week-rush-skeltonweed/feed/ 0 Missouri River Watershed Coalition Launches Early Detection Mapping System http://www.mtweed.org/library/index.php/missouri-river-watershed-coalition-launches-early-detection-mapping-system/ http://www.mtweed.org/library/index.php/missouri-river-watershed-coalition-launches-early-detection-mapping-system/#comments Mon, 18 Oct 2010 22:29:46 +0000 MWCA http://www.mtweed.org/library/?p=1027 The Missouri River Watershed Coalition (MRWC) launched an Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS) on September 28, 2010.   This system will provide a means of reporting new sightings of select invasive species, a mechanism to alert appropriate individuals to the reports and generate distribution maps for reported species.  The MRWC EDDMapS will focus on species that are new or potentially new invaders to the Coalition states and these reports will form the database rather than historical or current distribution data for all invasive species within the six states.

Download a copy of the the complete press release with links to webpages, details on species of concern and more.

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