Khaki weed
Alternanthera pungens
A creeping mat with sharp burrs can turn a playing area into a painful patch. Confirm the plant and stop it spreading.
Photo: Harry Rose · source · CC BY 2.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
What to look for
- Hairy, often reddish creeping stems can root at the joints and form dense mats.
- Opposite oval leaf pairs are often noticeably unequal in size.
- Small clusters in the leaf forks mature into hard, sharp, straw-coloured burrs.
Confirm it before you treat it
Take clear photos of a leaf pair, stem joints and the clusters in the leaf forks. Bindii has finely divided foliage; burr medic has three-part leaves and coiled pods. Native joyweeds and other mat-forming plants can look similar but lack the same prickly structures. Do not handle mature burrs bare-handed.
What to do next
- Keep users away from a prickly patch while it is assessed, and wear gloves for inspection or removal.
- For small patches, seek a removal plan that deals with the crown and connected rooted stems. Contain burrs and plant fragments; avoid spreading them in soil or green waste.
- Check shoes, tyres, animals and equipment before entering clean areas. For a sports field or school, ask about an integrated site plan and supply & apply.
Conditions matter more than dates.
Warm, disturbed and lightly covered ground deserves particular attention. Moisture can encourage growth, while an established plant may survive dry periods. Traffic can carry burrs well beyond the visible patch.
Inspect actively growing mats as warm weather arrives and revisit before mature burrs accumulate. Southern spring–summer is a useful watch period; warm regions may differ. Check current local weed-management requirements as part of a site plan.
Will mowing remove the prickles?
Mowing alone does not resolve the rooted mat or remove burrs already on the ground. It can also carry material to other areas, so combine identification, containment and a suitable management plan.
More views. Better clues.
Read each caption and compare fresh symptoms in your own turf.
Photo: Harry Rose · source · CC BY 2.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
Open full image ↗
Similar problems. Different solutions.
Burr medic
Clover-like leaves, small yellow pea flowers and coiled burrs: identify this weed before the prickles spread.
Identify & find a solution ↗Compaction & wear
A worn route needs a soil and traffic plan as well as grass recovery.
Identify & find a solution ↗Reviewed 11 October 2026 · Turfmate. Seasonal windows are indicative planning guidance, not measured outbreak or prevalence data.
Technical sources & image credits
- Brisbane City Council: khaki weed identification
- Weeds Australia: khaki weed and lookalikes
- Agriculture Victoria: khaki weed management and status
- Khaki weed — Photo: Harry Rose · source · CC BY 2.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Bindii — Photo: Harry Rose · source · CC BY 2.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
- Burr medic — Photo: John Tann · source · CC BY 2.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.
Photos support identification and may have been taken outside Australia. Appearance varies with species, mowing and conditions. A Turfmate product link does not imply endorsement by a photographer or source.