Giant foxtail
Also known as: nodding foxtail, Chinese foxtail, giant bristlegrass
Setaria faberi Herrm.
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Morphology
- Culm
- Ascending to erect, branching at base, hollow, glabrous, often bent over.
- Blades
- Flat, linear, 5 to 20 inches long, .2 to .9 inch wide, upper surface typically soft-hairy, lower surface smooth to rough.
- Sheath
- Somewhat keeled, glabrous to scabrous, margins ciliate.
- Ligule
- Fringe of hairs on a membranous base.
- Inflorescence
- Panicle, dense, cylindrical, 3 to 8 inches long, .5 to 1.4 inch in diameter, often drooping.
- Spikelets
- About 1/10 inch long, 2-flowered, first glume shorter than second, lemmas 1 fertile and 1 sterile, 3-6 bristles at base of each spikelet.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Waste areas, disturbed sites, roadsides, and cultivated ground.
- Distribution
- Principally in the east 2/3 of Kansas.
Practical Information
- Uses
- Birds will eat the seeds.
Additional Notes
Special Notes: Giant foxtail is sometimes confused with green foxtail. Giant foxtail is taller, has a longer and wider inflorescence, and has pubescence on the upper surface of the leaves.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Grass
- Family
- Poaceae - Grass Family
- Life Span
- Annual
- Height
- 20-56 inches
- Origin
- Introduced
- Last Updated
- 2007-09-18
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: July, August, September