Perhaps one of the Medicago's? If so, probably a beneficial plant to your lawn as it would be a nitrogen fixer. As long you can mow it, I wouldn't worry about the weed killer.

FataMorgana

Yeah I can mow it fine, and it doesn't seem to be hurting the augustine. Do you think its here because of lack of fertilization?

Does this get a tiny purple flower? Does it grow across the grass and put down a root then continue?

Went out and checked, and couldn't really find a flower on any of them, one did have a flower but couldn't really tell the color. Most of them are just vines with leaves and yes they put down a root and continue. They seem to be very long and break off before I can pull up the entire weed because they root and weave under the augustine really well.

Prevention, Early Detection, and Eradication of Benghal Dayflower in Field Nurseries1

I found this at the http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep350

site. I have been battling it for several years. Lost a huge patch of lawn to it that required us to rip out whatever was left and order a pallet of sod to replace what that weed killed.

I haven't found anything that will knock it down permanently so I pull it.

I work my fingers down under the St. Augustine to get at it better.

It helps to water the area then pull the weed and it will come out root and all. Be sure to get all the shoots that spread out. Look at it as a meditation and stretching routine. If we have a rainy afternoon, I go out after dinner and work on keeping this sort of under control. I have seen lawns completely overtaken by it.

YOu can also pull a patch, bag it in a ziplock, go to your local extension service and they will identify it for you. But it must be sealed before you go into the office.

A garden center might help, might.

Hope this helps.

I think that there are beans in the 3rd photo. See if Galactia volubilis (Downy Milk-pea) looks like a match.

Not sure any of these seem to be matches. Closest seems to be Medicago, but what i'm dealing with doesn't have flowers like any of these three.

Those are not Medicago fruits

Compare to Kummerowia.

Definitely think it could be Kummerowia or something similar. Was looking at the listed weeds that were targeted on an old bottle of atrazine yesterday and I looked up what was called Lespedeza which looked really similar to what I was dealing with, and apparently Kummerowia used to be in the same family as Lespedeza. Going to try and find something to deal with it.

Best of luck getting it like you like it. FWIW, not native but Kummerowia makes a fine addition to a lawn, as far as soft green plants to walk or play on goes, with the added bonus of cute little flowers.

Looks like Lespedeza striata to me. The stuff growing here in W Central FL has deep wiry roots. Pre-emergent is recommended

Meyer, I think that you're missing that the weed is a Legume.

Lespedeza striata is a synonym of Kummerowia striata.

http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=KUST2

Carol, anything specific you personally use or know works (that doesn't kill augustine)? Appreciate the help

I do not worry too much about it - isn't it a nitrogen fixer?

I am relatively certain you are plagued as I am with Paederia foetida a/k/a skunkvine. As far as I know there is no effective herbicide. If anyone knows of a remedy beyond picking please let me know. Roundup and the like will kill it but will also kill your grass. Good luck.

Michael this post is 2.5 years old so I doubt the OP is still following. Nonetheless I'll say that the plant in question, as stated above, is a legume ie a member of the Fabiaceae. The trifoliate leaves are a clear indicator. Your suggestion is not a member of this genus so cannot be the same plant.

Yes, I recognize this is an old post, but for the benefit of others landing on this page... I'm 99% sure this is Creeping Beggarweed or Spanish Clover (D. incanum/D. laxiflorum). Mine produce a deep pink, almost purple flower. I spent an exhaustive afternoon in my back yard digging a ~6' x 6' patch of it out of my St. Augustine about 2 yrs. ago. I would compare the underground root system to that of Torpedo grass... invasive and virtually impossible to eradicate. My temporary joy of digging out the mother lode tap root (at least 10" deep!) was quashed when sprigs of it started popping up again. As the natural/organic method failed, I got some Roundup. The grass has almost fully recovered now; I get an occasional sprig though.

Then I noticed it was invading a stretch of front yard near the street. Mother Nature sent Irma to help me with that area. Put the debris pile on top of it and by the time it was picked up, mostly everything was dead underneath. It made it easy to pull most of the roots out then. So for the sprigs that have survived both there and in back, I take a can with both ends cut off, slip the weed inside of it (Beggarweed and/or Torpedo), and try to protect the surrounding St. Augustine as I spray the Roundup. My condolences to anyone battling this... good luck!

I have a lot of this weed in my st augustine grass and can't get rid of it. It is hard to remove by hand and too many to even try. Have not found anything to use that will not kill the grass also.

you start with you own post.. add pix of your weed with scale to ID them.... its the whole point of the NAME THAT PLANT FORUM....

and then you find the proper way to treat them ...

hijacking a 7 year old post with no real info.. isnt really going to get you anywhere ...

ken

same photo as above from Outdoor_Lady (New Mexico) .