SafePlants

No images found for this plant ID: 1228.

Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "1228" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.

Safe for Children?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Dogs?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Cats?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Reptiles?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

shortawn foxtail

Scientific Name: Alopecurus aequalis var. aequalis

Family: Poaceae

Category: Monocot

Growth: Graminoid

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Shortawn Foxtail (Alopecurus aequalis)

Alopecurus aequalis, commonly known as shortawn foxtail or orange foxtail, is a grass species found in various parts of the world.

Considerations for Pets

  • As a grass species, shortawn foxtail produces small parts that could pose a choking hazard if ingested by small animals.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Alopecurus aequalis Sobol.
  • Common Names: Shortawn foxtail, Orange foxtail, Water Foxtail, Red-Yellow Foxtail, Red-Yellow Foxtail Grass, Short-Awned Foxtail, Dent Foxtail, Marsh Meadow-foxtail.
  • Family: Poaceae (Grass family), also referred to as Gramineae
  • Synonyms: Alopecurus aristulatus, Alopecurus fulvus
  • Varieties:
    • Alopecurus aequalis var. aequalis
    • Alopecurus aequalis var. natans
    • Alopecurus aequalis var. sonomensis

Distribution and Habitat

  • This species is widespread, found in Eurasia and the Americas.
  • It is often found growing in wetlands and on the edges of ponds.
  • In China, it is commonly found in east, south-central, and southwest regions, as well as parts of the Yellow River basin.
  • It has also been observed in North America and Germany.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Alopecurus aequalis can be either an annual or perennial grass, growing up to 0.3 meters (1 foot) in height.
  • It flowers from May to June. The flowers are hermaphrodite, possessing both male and female reproductive parts.
  • The lemmas (modified leaves enclosing the flower) are glabrous (smooth) and joined at the base.
  • The fertile lemma features a short awn (a bristle-like appendage) that originates from below the middle of its length.

Ecological Role

  • Shortawn foxtail is considered a troublesome grass weed, particularly in winter wheat and oilseed rape productions in China.
  • It can be a competitive grass weed.

Quirky Facts

  • The name "foxtail" comes from the grass head's resemblance to a fox's tail.

Herbicide Resistance

  • Multiple cases of resistance to ACCase and AHAS-inhibiting herbicides have been documented in shortawn foxtail populations from China.
  • Resistance to fenoxaprop has also been established.