Scientific Name
Alopecurus pratensis L.
Common Name(s)
Meadow foxtail
Tribe / Family Name
Poeae
Flowering Period
July to September
Symbol
ALPR3
Description
Meadow foxtail is an introduced cool-season perennial bunchgrass. Culms range from 30–110 cm in height. Its inflorescence is a cylindrical, spike-like panicle 3–7 cm long, soft textured, and light green. Spikelets are ovate, 1-flowered, and awned (the lemma awns 5–10.5 mm long and exceeding the glumes by up to 5 mm long, attached near the base of the lemmas, and geniculate). Ligules are up to 3 mm long, membranous, obtuse to truncate, occasionally entire or erose-ciliolate to lacerate, and glabrous.
General Info
Meadow foxtail can be found in areas with poorly to moderately drained soils in irrigated fields, along roadsides, ditches and streams, fence rows, and riverbanks, as well as meadows, marshes, foothills, plains, and montane sites, preferring moist conditions over dry.
Similar Species
Meadow foxtail may look similar to other foxtail (Alopecurus) plants, and to timothy (Phleum pratense), which also grows in similar moist habitats. To distinguish meadow foxtail and timothy from each other, examine the spikelets. Meadow foxtail has one awn extending from the base of the floret and timothy has two awns extending from the glumes. Timothy also has a swollen or bulb-like base and meadow foxtail does not.
Picture of growth habit.
Close-up picture of cylindrical spike-like panicle inflorescence.
Close-up picture of spikelet.
Close-up picture of membranous ligule.
Illustration of meadow foxtail. USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. <i>An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols</i>. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 1: 193.