CARPETWEED, Mollugo verticillata
L. 1, small plant, showing habit of growth; 2, flower; 3,
young seed pod in calyx; 4, seed. Annual, reproducing by
seed, with little-branched taproot. Stems green, smooth, branching along
the ground in all directions from the root, making flat circular mats on
the soil surface. Leaves in circles of 5 or 6 at each joint of the
stems, smooth, tonguelike. Flowers small, white, several at each
joint. Seeds very small, orange-red, somewhat kidney-shaped. Found
in gardens, tilled crops, lawns, and wasteland. A late-starting, quick
growing summer annual, it will quickly cover any fertile bare soil where
it starts.