foxtail

foxtail, any of the weedy grasses in the genera Alopecurus and Setaria of the family Poaceae. Foxtails are so named for their spikelet clusters of bristled seeds, which are dispersed as a unit and somewhat resemble the bushy tail of a fox. In some species, these units have a pointed tip and retrose (backward pointing) barbs and can become lodged in the ears and nostrils of dogs and other animals.

There are about 25 species of Alopecurus, which are distributed throughout the north temperate zone. Most species are perennials and bear dense cylindrical, often brushlike, flower clusters. Meadow foxtail (A. pratensis), which is native to Eurasia, is used as a forage grass in northern North America; it stands 30 to 80 cm (about 12 to 30 inches) high and has a light-green flower cluster 7 cm long.

The genus Setaria, also known as bristlegrass, includes nearly 125 species of annual and perennial grasses, mostly of tropical Africa but found in warm areas of all the continents. The plants are taller than those of Alopecurus, with bristly flower clusters and flat, thin leaf blades. More than 40 species are found in North America. A few are forage grasses, such as plains foxtail (S. macrostachya). Foxtail millet (S. italica; see millet) is the only economically valuable species. Yellow foxtail (S. pumila) and green foxtail (S. viridis), named for the colour of their bristles, are common in cornfields and disturbed areas. Bristly foxtail (S. verticillata), whose barbed bristles stick to animals and clothing, is also found in those places; the flower clusters from different plants may stick together, forming dense tangles. The name giant foxtail is applied to two weedy annuals: S. faberi and S. magna.