SEED-GERMINATION, PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CONTROL OF CATCLAW MIMOSA (MIMOSA-PIGRA VAR PIGRA)

Catclaw mimosa, an exotic member of the Leguminosae, occurs in three areas of Florida. Propagation is by seed only. Seeds collected from Florida were used for germination, growth, and herbicide evaluation studies. Seeds germinated at 75 to 94% but were not influenced by different environmental conditions under which they were stored. Greenhouse-grown plants cut or burned off at ground level failed to regrow. However, plants cut at 2 cm or more above ground level regrew from lateral shoots. Sixteen herbicides were evaluated to determine their effects on 6- to 8-wk-old plants grown in the greenhouse. Catclaw mimosa was killed by picloram, tebuthiuron, hexazinone and sulfometuron at 0.4, 0.07, 0.14, and 0.56 kg ha-1, respectively. Dicamba at 1.12, triclopyr at 1.12 (Garlon 3A and 4), linuron at 4.48, and glyphosate at 8.96 kg ha-1 were also effective. Chlorsulfuron and metsulfuron killed 9 out of 10 plants at the highest rates tested. Four herbicides, imazapyr, thifensulfuron, DPX-L5300, and atrazine killed 50% or less of the plants at the highest rates of each compound tested. Fosamine did not kill catclaw mimosa at the rates tested.