Marijuana

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Marijuana

Marijuana leaf

Marijuana leaf

Marijuana Leaves

Marijuana

Marijuana staminate flowers

Morphology

Stem

Erect, simple or branched, stiff, rough, angled, minutely pubescent.

Leaves

Lower opposite, upper mostly alternate, stalked, palmately compound; leaflets 5-11, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 1.5 to 6.5 inches long, .1 to .8 inch wide, center leaflet longest, outer leaflets progressively shorter; surfaces rough above, pubescent below; margins toothed; tips tapering to points.

Inflorescence

Panicle, narrow, staminate, terminal or clusters, small, spike-like, pistillate, in upper leaf axils.

Flower

Small, greenish; petals absent; staminate and pistillate flowers on separate plants (dioecious); staminate flowers on stalks; sepals 5, lanceolate to ovate, less than 1/6 inch long; pistillate flowers sessile, partially enclosed by sepal-like bracts.

Fruit

Achene, nearly spherical, about 1/6 inch long, yellow to greenish-brown, 1-seeded; seeds oval, mottled brown.

Ecology

Habitat

Waste areas, ditches, pastures, low ground along streams, and roadsides; shaded and exposed sites; moist, fertile soils.

Distribution

Throughout Kansas.

Practical Information

Forage Value

No forage value for livestock. Quail, pheasants, songbirds, and small mammals eat the seeds.

Uses

Marijuana was formerly grown for hemp fiber which was used in the production of rope, nets, and paper.

Additional Notes