Bindii Weed (Soliva sessilis)
Common Names: Bindii, bindy-eye, carpet burweed, field soliva, lawn burrweed, onehunga weed, jo-jo.
Description
Bindii is a low-growing, short-lived (annual) weed that spreads across lawns and disturbed areas. It starts as a rosette of finely divided leaves before producing creeping stems (up to 8 cm long), forming a dense ground cover. The plant is sparsely hairy, with small, soft green leaves.
Flowers & Seeds
Tiny, rounded flower heads (3–5 mm) appear in autumn and winter, maturing into sharp, spiny seeds in spring and summer. These spiky seeds make Bindii notorious for causing pain when stepped on barefoot.
Reproduction & Spread
Bindii spreads via seeds and creeping stems (stolons). It thrives in lawns, parks, and disturbed soil, often forming dense patches.
Similar Species
It closely resembles dwarf jo-jo weed (Soliva anthemifolia), which has softer hairs, shorter stems, and slightly larger flowers. Young Bindii plants can also be mistaken for common cotula (Cotula australis) or bittercress (Lepidium didymum), but only Bindii develops the characteristic sharp spined seeds.