Anybody Knows What Are These?

Question

Every time I did into the grown to plant something, lots of the white, spiral, fleshy things come up. Is it a root for weeds? This area naturally produces purslane. Is this how its roots look?

Douglas Hunt · Answer

Purslane has a taproot, Pamela. There's a drawing of it here: http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h529purslane.html You've never found this attached to anything when you pulled it out of the ground? You just find them running through the soil?

Pamela F · Answer

No, haven't seen it attached to anything. I was told that they are  swollen underground stems called stolons.

Douglas Hunt · Answer

Stolons usually run on top of the ground and they are definitely attached to a plant.

Jeannie Gilliard · Answer

I found thisin our garden last year....My husband layered the garden with hay and they were underneath not attached......

Cindy tustin · Answer

Looks like a trip to the county extension office.

Cheryl stanley · Answer

sure hope somebody knows the answer to question!!!!!! I want to know, too! they look pregnant!

Cheryl stanley · Answer

my husband says they are mole sperm! that's why our neighborhood is over run with the destroyers this year!! sorry! had to share that.

Pamela F · Answer

Lmbo (laughing my butt off)!

Paula Englert · Answer

LOVE the mole sperm theory. In my case it would be vole sperm. My yard is infested with the buggers and I can't get rid of them.

Nancy Bode · Answer

To me it looks like some sort of mushroom or fungi or something. I've been Google searching and haven't come up with anything yet, but I'll keep looking.

Pamela F · Answer

Thanks Nancy.

Cheryl Fleetwood · Answer

From what I found....this is called 'Rattlesnake Weed' or Stachys affinis. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=stach# Noxious weed: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?402445 Good luck

Pamela F · Answer

It looks like it Cheryl Fleetwood. I believe that you are correct! Thank you so much:-)

Pam Cates · Answer

It is Rattlesnake Weed and it will take over. I have fought it now for years. It's one of those weeds that if you break one of these tubers and leave in the ground each piece will produce a plant.

Pamela F · Answer

How do I get it out of my garden bed?

Douglas Hunt · Answer

Pamela, there are suggestions from the University of Georgia here: http://www.caes.uga.edu/publications/pubDetail.cfm?pk_id=7648

Pamela F · Answer

Thanks Douglas! It says they're edible, won't find me eating them:-D

April E · Answer

it is a form of fungus or mushroom if you will let your garden dry out a bit between waterings and they will leave/die and your plants won't mind a bit more air in the soil

Pam Cates · Answer

I have dug and raked, dug and raked and raked through the soil to remove all I can find. When you see the foliage pull it and did down to find the tuber and remove. Roundup will kill it too. April E, I don't think it ever dries out enough here in the SE for them to die in our soil.

Pamela F · Answer

Thanks Pam. I don't think it'll dry out either.

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