…Velvetleaf!
We found some Velvetleaf weed seeds a few weeks ago in a wheat sample that was sent in for a germination test. This photo was taken at a magnification of 7x. These seeds are very distinct, making a ‘heart shape’ just as do the leaves of this plant. During the season, this plant has very soft, almost velvet-like touch to its leaves and has a very distinct odor to the plant.
This weed can produce 2,000 to 9,000 seeds/plant. Each plant produces about 70 to 200 capsules per plant, and each capsule contains about 35-45 seeds. The seed has small star-shaped hairs on the surface and can remain viable in the soil for up to 50 years!