HPIPM:Buffalobur

Taxonomy

Domain	Eukarya
Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	Magnoliophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Superorder	Asteranae
Order	Solanales
Family	Solanaceae
Genus	Solanum

Scientific Name

Solanum rostratum

Common Name

buffalobur

Buffalobur (Solanum rostratum)

Author: Tim Prather, University of Idaho, Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences

Adapted from: Idaho Weed Resource webpage on buffalobur.

Identification and Life Cycle

Buffalobur (Solanum rostratum) is a drought-tolerant weed in the nightshade family (Solanaceae) native to the Great Plains region of the U.S. Buffalobur is an annual, with spiny leaves, flowers, and stems that grows up to 2 feet tall. Even leaves of seedlings have spines, and those leaves are deeply lobed; some lobes are nearly to the midvein. Leaves of older plants are deeply lobed like a watermelon leaf, and are up to 5 inches long. Flowers are borne from midsummer until frost, are 1 inch across, five petalled, and bright yellow in color. One of the anthers in each flower is longer than the other four. The fruit is a dry berry that is overgrown by the calyx, forming a bur-like fruit. Seeds are black, flat, and wrinkled.

Habitats

Buffalobur can occur in meadows, dry rangeland, pastures, lawns, cultivated fields, roadsides, and waste areas. While the plant is physically imposing, it is not very competitive and survives only in disturbed, dry areas.

Impacts

Buffalobur grows on most soils and is drought tolerant, making it weedy in non-irrigated crops.

Biology and Ecology

Buffalobur is an annual that reproduces and overwinters solely by seed. It flowers throughout the summer and into fall; seeds mature shortly after flowering. An individual plant can produce 8,500 seeds. Many nightshades are self-incompatible, but buffalobur is fully self-fertile. A single plant can build a large population quickly in a favorable new location. Ball-shaped buffalobur plants break at the soil surface in autumn and tumble in the wind, scattering seeds. Seedlings can germinate from hard seed in the soil for several years.

Management Approaches

As an annual weed, management tactics that prevent flowering and seed set can be effective at controlling and eventually eradicating buffalo bur when the soil seed bank is exhausted.

Biological Control

There are no biological controls available for buffalobur.

Mechanical and Cultural Control

For small infestations of scattered plants, digging, hoeing, or hand pulling plants before flowers appear can be effective. Mowing buffalobur can prevent seed production.

Chemical Control

Herbicides that are effective for control are listed in the table below.

Examples of herbicides that can be used to manage buffalobur

Consult herbicide labels for additional rate, application, and safety information. Additional herbicide information can be found at http://www.greenbook.net.

Due to constantly changing labels, laws and regulations, the sponsors of this web site assume no liability for the suggested use of any chemicals noted in the management section. Contact your local pest management personnel for current information on labeled pesticides that can be used for the intended plant disease, insect pest or weed.

References

For more images please visit IPM Bugwood. http://www.ipmimages.org/search/action.cfm?q=buffalobur