Importance

Can badly hinder the harvesting of beets and cause problems in maize.

1. The cotyledons and the first true leaves are mealy, like those of fat-hen, but the cotyledons are green beneath, much narrower and with very short stalks.

2. The true leaves also are long and narrow, with two distinct teeth at the base.

3. The annual plant differs from fat-hen in that it has a generally prostate habit, only the flowering stems being upright.