Yellow foxtail
Also known as: yellow bristlegrass
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Morphology
- Culm
- Erect to ascending, 12 to 40 inches tall, branching at base, flattened, glabrous, often geniculate, sometimes purplish.
- Blades
- Flat to folded, 4 to 12 inches long and .2 to .5 inch wide, occasionally twisted in loose spiral, glabrous except for scattered long hairs on upper surface close to base.
- Sheath
- Prominently flattened, keeled, glabrous, often purplish at base; margins not ciliate.
- Ligule
- Ciliate membrane.
- Inflorescence
- Panicle, dense, stiffly erect, cylindric, 2 to 4 inches long; yellowish at maturity.
- Spikelets
- Broadly ovate, but flat on one side; floret 1, perfect; lemma 1, sterile; 4-12 yellowish-brown to golden-brown bristles at base of each spikelet.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Waste areas, disturbed sites, cultivated ground, roadsides, and lawns.
- Distribution
- Throughout Kansas.
Practical Information
- Forage Value
- Yellow foxtail has fair forage value when immature.
- Uses
- Birds will consume the seeds.
Additional Notes
Comments
A common weed that is one of the first plants to appear in disturbed areas. The bristles have been known to cause mouth injuries in livestock.
Special Notes: Compare with green foxtail
Synonyms
Alternative scientific names that have been used for this plant.
Scientific Name: Setaria glauca
Full Citation: Setaria glauca Beauv.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Grass
- Family
- Poaceae - Grass Family
- Life Span
- Annual
- Height
- 12-40 inches
- Last Updated
- 2007-09-18
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: June, July, August, September