Meadow Foxtail Grass Uk | Slide Mouse
Hay meadows support a rich mixture of grasses and flowers such as meadow foxtail lady s bedstraw and meadow buttercup.
Meadow foxtail grass uk. Look for meadow foxtail across meadows and other grassy areas that are fairly moist as well as along roadsides and bordering hedges. Alopecurus pratensis known as the meadow foxtail or the field meadow foxtail is a perennial grass belonging to the grass family poaceae. It is native to europe and asia. Meadow foxtail comes into flower at the beginning of may.
It is a member of the genus phleum consisting of about 15 species of annual and perennial grasses. Meadow foxtail is native to europe and asia. Green or purple flushed. By then timothy also known as cat s tail has also come into flower.
It has smooth wide flat leaves. It can sometimes beat sweet vernal grass into being the first grass to flower. This common plant is found on grasslands especially on neutral soils. Panicles are cylindrical blunt and soft 2 to 10 cm long and 5 to 10 mm wide.
The most distinctive feature of this grass are its long cylindrical flower heads with short silky hairs from which it gets its name foxtail. It is one of the earliest grasses to grow and flower in spring. The associated invertebrate population may also be important food for birds. It is probably named after timothy hanson an american farmer and agriculturalist said to have.
Spikelets are 4 to 6 mm long oblong to elliptical having lanceolate pointed glumes fringed with hairs on the keels. Timothy grass phleum pratense is an abundant perennial grass native to most of europe except for the mediterranean region it is also known simply as timothy meadow cat s tail or common cat s tail. Tufted grass 30 to 100 cm tall usually erect occasionally kneed at base. Meadow foxtail grass wtml meadow foxtail grass gets its name from its long cylindrical flower head that looks like a fox s tail.
It is found on moist fertile soils but avoids waterlogged light or dry soils. This is particularly important with up to 45 species per square metre in the best meadows. Meadow foxtail grows in dense tufts and its signature flower head is the best way to identify this grass.