PLANT IDENTIFICATION AND WEED MANAGEMENT:
ALABAMA OTPS EXAM UPDATED ACTUAL QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
1. Goosegrass
Answer:
Summer annual grass; silver crabgrass; thrives in compacted soil area; germination may be 4 to 6 weeks
later than crabgrass; lower stems strongly flattened and crown in silver-white; at maturity, 4 or 5 flattened
finger-like seed heads produced at end of stems.
Question:
2. Large Crabgrass
Answer:
Summer annual; germination late March to early April; fibrous root system and roots at lower nodes; lower
stems flattened, pale green, with hairy sheaths that form unsightly patches.
Question:
3. Chickweed
Answer:
Winter annual broadleaf weed which roots at nodes; creeping habit of numerous branched stems forms
dense patches; leaves are opposite, oval shaped, and bright shiny green; white flowers are 5 pedaled
(deeply notched); appearing as 10 petals.
Question:
4. Carolina geranium
Answer:
Winter annual broadleaf weed; simple leaves are deeply divided or segmented; stems erect and much
branched; basal cluster of leaves with reddish-green hairy stems; bears cluster of white to pale purple
flowers at end of stems.
Question:
5. Purple Nutsedge
Answer:
Perennial sedge; smaller stems than yellow Nutsedge and leaves have dull, blunt, or boat-shaped leaf tips.
Question:
6. Dandelion
Answer:
Perennial broadleaf weed with thick, fleshy orange taproot; produces rosette of long, narrow variably lobed
or serrated leaves; plants have no stems and yellow flowers borne at end of long, bare, and hollow stalk;
flowers mature into round, white puffballs full of seeds.
Question:
7. Buckhorn Plantain
ALABAMA OTPS EXAM UPDATED ACTUAL QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS
Question:
1. Goosegrass
Answer:
Summer annual grass; silver crabgrass; thrives in compacted soil area; germination may be 4 to 6 weeks
later than crabgrass; lower stems strongly flattened and crown in silver-white; at maturity, 4 or 5 flattened
finger-like seed heads produced at end of stems.
Question:
2. Large Crabgrass
Answer:
Summer annual; germination late March to early April; fibrous root system and roots at lower nodes; lower
stems flattened, pale green, with hairy sheaths that form unsightly patches.
Question:
3. Chickweed
Answer:
Winter annual broadleaf weed which roots at nodes; creeping habit of numerous branched stems forms
dense patches; leaves are opposite, oval shaped, and bright shiny green; white flowers are 5 pedaled
(deeply notched); appearing as 10 petals.
Question:
4. Carolina geranium
Answer:
Winter annual broadleaf weed; simple leaves are deeply divided or segmented; stems erect and much
branched; basal cluster of leaves with reddish-green hairy stems; bears cluster of white to pale purple
flowers at end of stems.
Question:
5. Purple Nutsedge
Answer:
Perennial sedge; smaller stems than yellow Nutsedge and leaves have dull, blunt, or boat-shaped leaf tips.
Question:
6. Dandelion
Answer:
Perennial broadleaf weed with thick, fleshy orange taproot; produces rosette of long, narrow variably lobed
or serrated leaves; plants have no stems and yellow flowers borne at end of long, bare, and hollow stalk;
flowers mature into round, white puffballs full of seeds.
Question:
7. Buckhorn Plantain
