Shortawn foxtail
Alopecurus aequalis · Aquatic plants
Whole plant · Photo: Thomas Ebner / CC BY
Also called Water foxtail
How to identify Shortawn foxtail
- Low grass with stems often floating or lying on the water
- Narrow, cylindrical, soft heads
- Orange anthers when flowering
- Pale blue green leaves
Similar plants
Northern mannagrass has open heads; timothy is an upland grass.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Grows from spring, flowers May to August. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 45 F water |
| Light | Full sun |
| Depth | Moist shoreline to about 1 foot of water |
| How it spreads | Seeds and rooting stems |
| Habitat | Shallow pond edges, ditches, springs and mud flats. |
Why it matters in a lake
Often forms floating mats in shallow water.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Occasional
- Oregon: Occasional
- Wyoming: Occasional
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Poales |
| Family | Poaceae |
| Scientific name | Alopecurus aequalis |
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Western water hemlock
Beaked sedge
Baltic rushNeed a hand?
Is it taking over your lake?
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