yellow foxtail

(Setaria pumila ssp. pumila)

Conservation Status
yellow foxtail
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

NNA - No Status Rank

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Midwest

FAC - Facultative

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FAC - Facultative

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Yellow foxtail is one of the first plants to appear in disturbed sites.

The leaf sheath has a fringe of hairs on the margins. The inflorescense spike is usually straight, though longer spikes may be slightly arched. There are 4 to 12 bristles beneath each spikelet. The bristles are yellow when young, turning yellowish-brown or orangish-brown (tawny) at maturity. They are never purple or purplish.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

12 to 32

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Green foxtail (Setaria viridis var. viridis) inflorescence spike is straight or nodding. There are 1 to 3 bristles per spikelet. The bristles are green or purple when young, turning purple or tawny at maturity.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moderately dry to moist. Forest margins, roadsides, cultivated fields, waste places, disturbed sites, and lawns. Full sun.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

June to October

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 4, 5, 7, 22, 28, 29, 30.

 
  7/25/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and Canary Islands. Introduced and widely naturalized in North America.

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Very common and widespread

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Liliopsida (monocots)  
 

Order

Poales (grasses, sedges, cattails, and allies)  
 

Family

Poaceae (grasses)  
  No Rank PACMAD clade  
  Subfamily Panicoideae (bristlegrasses, bluestems, paspalums, and allies)  
  Tribe Paniceae (bristlegrasses, rosette grasses, barnyard grasses, and allies)  
  Subtribe Cenchrinae  
 

Genus

Setaria (foxtails and bristlegrasses)  
  Species Setaria pumila (yellow foxtail)  
       
 

Most taxonomic authorities recognize two subspecies of yellow foxtail, cattail grass (Setaria pumila ssp. pallidefusca) and yellow foxtail (Setaria pumila ssp. pumila). Yellow foxtail is naturalized in Minnesota. Cattail grass is rare in North America. In Minnesota, it has been reported at only one location in Anoka County. ITIS and the Catalogue of New World Grasses do not recognize any subspecies.

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Chaetochloa glauca var. purpurea

Chaetochloa lutescens

Panicum glaucum var. flavescens

Panicum glaucum var. laevigatum

Panicum imberbe var. pumilum

Panicum lutescens

Panicum pumilum

Setaria glauca var. pumila

Setaria lutescens

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

pale pigeon grass

pear-millet

pigeon grass

yellow bristle grass

yellow bristlegrass

yellow foxtail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Habitat

 
    yellow foxtail   yellow foxtail  
           
 

Plant

 
    yellow foxtail      
           
 

Inflorescence

 
    yellow foxtail   yellow foxtail  
           
    yellow foxtail   yellow foxtail  
           
    yellow foxtail      
           
 

Infructescence

 
    yellow foxtail   yellow foxtail  

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
 
     
     

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  Weed of the Week #839 - Yellow Foxtail (Air Date 5/4/14)
AgPhD's channel
 
   
 
About

Published on May 7, 2014

It's our Weed of the Week, Yellow Foxtail.

   
  Yellow foxtail
Ohio State University Weed Science
 
   
 
About

Published on Aug 20, 2014

This video is about Yellow foxtail

   
  Yellow foxtail , キンエノコロ
Koji Kimura
 
   
 
About

Published on Aug 19, 2013

Yellow foxtail , キンエノコロ

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
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