Venus's-looking-glass [Legousia hybrida]

About the weed

It is an upright, roughly hairy annual dicotyledon, growing up to 30cm tall. The leaves are wavy with short stalks. It has tubular pink flowers. The ovary starts to extend as the flower becomes fertile and looks like three touching cylinders.

Key features

Fruit: Only two of the three seed head ‘cylinders’ are visible from one side.

Biology

Venus’s-looking-glass can germinate from autumn through to spring. It is insectpollinated. It is rarely a problem in competitive crops but can be found in newly emerged crops.

Symptoms & Diagnosis

Life cycle

Seed longevity: >5 years

Seed weight: 0.335 mg

Seeds/flower: 40

Treatment

Management

It does not persist in winter cropping rotations and is readily controlled in early spring by cultivation.