Weed of The Week: Sibara

Written by:  Garret Montgomery, Jason Bond, and Tom Eubank

Sibara
Scientific Name: Sibara virginica L. Rollins
Family: Brassicaceae
Synonyms: Virginia winged rockcress

Sibara is a winter annual or biennial plant in the mustard family.  The leaves form a basal rosette and are lobed with 5 to 14 divisions on each side of the midvein. The petioles and underside of the leaves have hairs, while the upper side of the leaf is smooth. The stems can be up to 1.5 feet tall, are hairy, and typically begin branching at ground level. Flowers are compact and begin at the top of the plant, but can expand to cover more than two-thirds of the total plant height. The flower is small and white and generally has four petals. In strong sunlight, the plant will often exhibit a reddish color.

Sibara is native to the United States and can be found across most of the southeast portion of the country. It is common in disturbed areas, waste sites, fallow and cultivated fields, roadsides, and railroad beds. Sibara is common in Mississippi, but it is generally controlled with burndown herbicide applications targeting other winter annual weed species.

http://www.missouriplants.com/Whitealt/Sibara_virginica_page.html