Alabama OTPC Exam UPDATED
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
Common Greenbriar - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed -Woody vine with
occasional thorns -Woody convoluted rootstock that must be removed manually or mechanically -
Leaves thick, dark green, and oval to heart or shield shaped - Prominent ribbed veins on lower surface
of leaves - Male and female plants that produce small flowers and occasionally produce black berries
Wild Violets - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed - Plant has spreading or
creeping growth habit by rhizomes or stolons - Leaves are heart- shaped, serrate and frequently borne
directly from rhizome - Violet or pansy like flowers of many different colors or shades produced
Virginia Buttonweed - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed - Stems somewhat
fleshy and green-white in color - Elliptically shaped leaves are oppositely arranged on the stem - 4
pedaled white flowers are borne in the leaf fork or axils - Flowers develop into round "button-like"
seed capsules
Pennywort - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed with creeping or spreading
branched stems that root at the nodes - Leaves are round, fleshy, and bright green that resemble an
"umbrella" with a central petiole - Produces open clusters of tine 5 pedaled star shaped flowers
Ground Ivy - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed that forms dense patches
usually in shaded areas - Plants have creeping or spreading square stems that root at the nodes and
produce opposite leaves - Leaves are round with scalloped margins, rough upper surface, and heavily
veined leaf surface - Produces bluish purple trumpet shaped flowers
Dichondra - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed that spreads by slender, creeping
stems that root at the nodes - Kidney shaped leaves grow opposite each other along the horizontal
stems -Small, green, and inconspicuous flowers produced along the stem - Thrives in moist soils but
cannot tolerate freezing temperatures
Wild Strawberry - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed - Hairy, prostrate stolon's
produced with trifoliate leaves - Leaflets oval shaped with serrated margins and are borne on long
petioles -Single yellow flowers with 5 petals are borne on long stalks - Small, red, fleshy, and tasteless
fruit produced by mature flowers
, Buckhom Plantain - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed with taproot and strong
lateral roots - Basal rosette of long, narrow pointed leaves that often twist or curl are produced - Leaf
veins are ribbed or prominent on the lower surface - At maturity, leafless, hairy, and erect stems are
produced with dense, compacted, and tapered seed heads
Florida Betony - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed - Also called "rattlesnake
weed" - Square stem with opposite leaves produced from large, white, constricted tubers - Leaves are
hairy, shaped, and serrated - White to purple two lipped (trumpet-shaped) flowers produced at top of
plants - During hot weather, top growth disappears but plant reproduces by seed or underground
tubers
Dandelion - CORRECT 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
Purple Nutsedge - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial sedge -Smooth, triangular, dark green
stems - Smaller stems than yellow nutsedge and leaves have dull, blunt, or boat-shaped leaf tips -
Reproduces by seed, rhizomes, and tubers (nuts) - Tuber chains develop from rhizomes
Yellow Nutsedge - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial sedge - Slender, triangular, pale green
stems up to 24 inches tall -Most leaves basal except for yellow seed head - Leaves have sharp pointed
"hypodermic" tip - Plants reproduce by seeds, rhizomes, and tubers (nuts) -Rhizomes end individual
tubers (no chain of tubers)
Wild Garlic - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial weed with 3 methods of reproduction - Hollow
stem with 2 or 3 round hollow leaves developing from basal bulb - Basal bulb covered by thin,
whitish papery coat -At maturity, small yellow bulbs or bulblets over the basal bulb below ground -
Above ground, aerial bulblets are produced at the tips of stems and greenish-pink small flowers
Torpedo Grass - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial grass weed - Stems stiff up to 3 feet tall -
Stems borne on robust, horizontal, creeping stems -Rhizomes covered with leafless, hairy sheaths - At
maturity, flowers and fruits are borne in open panicles
Dallisgrass - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial grass that grows in clumps - Thick woody
rhizomes with upright stems - Leaves and stems usually hairless - 3 to 7 finger-like seed heads
produced alternately at end of stm - Long hairs present at base of each finger-like seed head
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
Common Greenbriar - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed -Woody vine with
occasional thorns -Woody convoluted rootstock that must be removed manually or mechanically -
Leaves thick, dark green, and oval to heart or shield shaped - Prominent ribbed veins on lower surface
of leaves - Male and female plants that produce small flowers and occasionally produce black berries
Wild Violets - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed - Plant has spreading or
creeping growth habit by rhizomes or stolons - Leaves are heart- shaped, serrate and frequently borne
directly from rhizome - Violet or pansy like flowers of many different colors or shades produced
Virginia Buttonweed - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed - Stems somewhat
fleshy and green-white in color - Elliptically shaped leaves are oppositely arranged on the stem - 4
pedaled white flowers are borne in the leaf fork or axils - Flowers develop into round "button-like"
seed capsules
Pennywort - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed with creeping or spreading
branched stems that root at the nodes - Leaves are round, fleshy, and bright green that resemble an
"umbrella" with a central petiole - Produces open clusters of tine 5 pedaled star shaped flowers
Ground Ivy - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed that forms dense patches
usually in shaded areas - Plants have creeping or spreading square stems that root at the nodes and
produce opposite leaves - Leaves are round with scalloped margins, rough upper surface, and heavily
veined leaf surface - Produces bluish purple trumpet shaped flowers
Dichondra - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed that spreads by slender, creeping
stems that root at the nodes - Kidney shaped leaves grow opposite each other along the horizontal
stems -Small, green, and inconspicuous flowers produced along the stem - Thrives in moist soils but
cannot tolerate freezing temperatures
Wild Strawberry - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed - Hairy, prostrate stolon's
produced with trifoliate leaves - Leaflets oval shaped with serrated margins and are borne on long
petioles -Single yellow flowers with 5 petals are borne on long stalks - Small, red, fleshy, and tasteless
fruit produced by mature flowers
, Buckhom Plantain - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed with taproot and strong
lateral roots - Basal rosette of long, narrow pointed leaves that often twist or curl are produced - Leaf
veins are ribbed or prominent on the lower surface - At maturity, leafless, hairy, and erect stems are
produced with dense, compacted, and tapered seed heads
Florida Betony - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial broadleaf weed - Also called "rattlesnake
weed" - Square stem with opposite leaves produced from large, white, constricted tubers - Leaves are
hairy, shaped, and serrated - White to purple two lipped (trumpet-shaped) flowers produced at top of
plants - During hot weather, top growth disappears but plant reproduces by seed or underground
tubers
Dandelion - CORRECT 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
Purple Nutsedge - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial sedge -Smooth, triangular, dark green
stems - Smaller stems than yellow nutsedge and leaves have dull, blunt, or boat-shaped leaf tips -
Reproduces by seed, rhizomes, and tubers (nuts) - Tuber chains develop from rhizomes
Yellow Nutsedge - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial sedge - Slender, triangular, pale green
stems up to 24 inches tall -Most leaves basal except for yellow seed head - Leaves have sharp pointed
"hypodermic" tip - Plants reproduce by seeds, rhizomes, and tubers (nuts) -Rhizomes end individual
tubers (no chain of tubers)
Wild Garlic - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial weed with 3 methods of reproduction - Hollow
stem with 2 or 3 round hollow leaves developing from basal bulb - Basal bulb covered by thin,
whitish papery coat -At maturity, small yellow bulbs or bulblets over the basal bulb below ground -
Above ground, aerial bulblets are produced at the tips of stems and greenish-pink small flowers
Torpedo Grass - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial grass weed - Stems stiff up to 3 feet tall -
Stems borne on robust, horizontal, creeping stems -Rhizomes covered with leafless, hairy sheaths - At
maturity, flowers and fruits are borne in open panicles
Dallisgrass - CORRECT ANSWER -Perennial grass that grows in clumps - Thick woody
rhizomes with upright stems - Leaves and stems usually hairless - 3 to 7 finger-like seed heads
produced alternately at end of stm - Long hairs present at base of each finger-like seed head
