Cat's-tails, Foxtails & similar species

Sweet vernal-grass Meadow Foxtail Common Canary-grass Crested Hair-grass

What are they?

This page covers two main groups of grasses - the cat's-tails in the genus Phleum and the foxtails in the genus Alopecurus, as well as a small number of species from other genera that have a similar appearance to these two groups. In general terms, these species mostly have a flower spike that is slender, finger-like and upright, with the flowers crowded close to the main stem on very short side branches. Some species have these spikes contracted into a shorter, broader head which gives a more rounded look to the spike.

Where are they found?

There is quite a number of species here, occurring in a wide range of habitat types, so the habitats they are found in can be a useful aid towards identification. Some or quite widely found in grassy places, but others have a decided preference for wet or dry land, while yet others are small annual species of cultivated and disturbed ground.

Identification

Click here for help with some of the terminology used on the grass pages. The two major groups can be separated by a close examination of the florets, with the cat's-tails typically having comb-like hairs on their lemmas, which are absent in the foxtails. Many of the plants on this page can be separated relatively easily by the apearance and arrangement of their florets but some, such as the cat's-tails are tricky to tell apart and will require some measurements of the floral parts.



Meadow Foxtail      Alopecurus pratensis

A native perennial, common and widespread on commons, churchyards and other grassy places on clay soils and damper ground. Flowers April to July. Plants 30-120cm in height, variably tussocky and often forming extensive patches. Leaf blades 3-10mm wide, hairless. Leaf sheaths rounded and smooth, the uppers slightly inflated. Ligule membranous, 1-2.5mm long, rounded. Flower spike 20-130mm long, narrow and upright. Spikelets 4-6mm long, each with a single floret, densely packed in the spike. Glumes greenish-white with a narrow green stripe, joined in their lower half and hiding the lemmas and florets. Lemmas with an awn arising from the lower third of the back and exceeding the glumes by 3-5mm.

Meadow Foxtail Meadow Foxtail Meadow Foxtail Meadow Foxtail
Habit
Flowering spike
Flowering spike
Late flower spike
Meadow Foxtail Meadow Foxtail Meadow Foxtail Meadow Foxtail
Flowering spikelets
Flowering spikelets
Leaf base and sheath
Leaf ligule


Marsh Foxtail      Alopecurus geniculatus

A native perennial, common and widespread on damper ground, especially along river valleys and in coastal grazing marshes where it grows well in areas that are flooded in winter and poached by livestock. Flowers June to August. Plants 15-45cm in height, the stems blue-green, spreading from the base then bent at the nodes, often creeping to form spreading rafts on wet areas. Leaf blades 2-7mm wide, hairless. Leaf sheaths rounded and smooth, the uppers slightly inflated. Ligule membranous, 2-5mm long, pointed at the tip. Flower spike 15-70mm long, narrow and upright. Spikelets 2-3.3mm long, each with a single floret, densely packed in the spike. Glumes greenish-white with a narrow green stripe, free more or less to their bases and hiding the lemmas and florets. Lemmas with an awn arising from just above the base and exceeding the glumes by 1.5-3mm.

Marsh Foxtail Marsh Foxtail Marsh Foxtail Marsh Foxtail
Habit
Flowering spike
Flowering spike
Late flower spikes
Marsh Foxtail Marsh Foxtail Marsh Foxtail Marsh Foxtail
Flowering spikelets
Late spikelets
Stem node
Leaf ligule and stem


Black-grass      Alopecurus myosuroides

A native annual, found throughout most of our region on disturbed ground and often abundant in cereal crops. Flowers May to August. Plants 20-80cm in height, variably tussocky or forming patches and often bent near the base. Leaf blades 2-8mm wide, hairless but rough textured. Leaf sheaths rounded and smooth, the uppers a little inflated. Ligule membranous, 2-5mm long, with a rounded tip. Flower spike slender and upright, 2-12cm long. Spikelets 4.5-7mm long, each with a single floret, densely packed in the spike. The paired glumes more or less cover the spikelets and are joined together at the base for up to half their length. Lemmas about as long as the glumes and bearing a short awn. The flowerheads are clearly narrower and more elongate than those of other foxtails.

Black-grass Black-grass Black-grass Black-grass
Habit
Flowering spike
Late flower spike
Flowering spikelets
Black-grass Black-grass Black-grass Black-grass
Early spikelets
Late spikelets
Basal leaves
Leaf ligule


Timothy      Phleum pratense

A native perennial but also widely sown in grass mixes, especially for grazing or silage. Common in natural and semi-natural grasslands, including parks and playing areas as well as roadsides. Flowers May to August. Plants 40-120cm in height, variably tussocky or forming patches. Leaf blades 3-9mm wide, hairless, rather stout. Leaf sheaths rounded and smooth. Ligule membranous, long, with a rounded tip. Flower spike 60-150mm, narrow and upright. Spikelets 4-5mm long, each with a single floret, densely packed in the spike. The paired glumes are very distinctive and hide the lemmas and florets; they bear a comb-like line of stiff hairs along their edge and terminate in a pointed spike, 1-2mm long.

Timothy Timothy Timothy Timothy
Habit
Flowering spikes
Late flower spike
Flowering spikelets
Timothy Timothy Timothy Timothy
Late spikelets
Late spikelets
Leaf upperside
Leaf ligule


Smaller Cat's-tail      Phleum bertolonii

A native perennial, common in natural and semi-natural grasslands. Flowers June to August. Plants 10-50cm in height, variably tussocky or forming patches. Leaf blades 2-6mm wide, hairless. Leaf sheaths rounded and smooth. Ligule membranous, up to 2mm in length, with a rounded tip. Flower spike 10-60mm, narrow and upright. Spikelets 2-3.5mm long, each with a single floret, densely packed in the spike. The paired glumes are very distinctive and hide the lemmas and florets; they bear a comb-like line of stiff hairs along their edge and terminate in a pointed spike, 0.2-1.2mm long. Extremely difficult to tell from small examples of Timothy, but measurements of the leaves, spikelets and awns should all help.

Smaller Cat's-tail Smaller Cat's-tail Smaller Cat's-tail Smaller Cat's-tail
Habit
Early flower spike
Flowering spike
Flowering spike
Smaller Cat's-tail Smaller Cat's-tail Smaller Cat's-tail Smaller Cat's-tail
Late spikelets
Late spikelets
Leaf upperside
Leaf ligule


Purple-stem Cat's-tail      Phleum phleoides

A native perennial which, but for the odd stray, is endemic to Breckland in a UK context. Scattered in short grass-heath habitats on light soils. Flowers June to August. Plants 10-70cm in height, variably tussocky and typically (though not always) with a purple-red tinge to the stem, especially towards the top. Leaf blades 1-3.5mm wide, hairless. Leaf sheaths rounded and smooth. Ligule membranous, up to 2mm in length, blunt-tipped. Flower spike 15-100mm, narrow and upright. Spikelets 2.5-3mm long, each with a single floret, densely packed in the spike. The paired glumes bear a loose line of stiff hairs along their edge and terminate in a tiny, pointed spike, up to 0.5mm long. This spiked tip to the glume is less abruptly angled than in Timothy or Smaller Cat's-tail and thus produces a very different look to the tip of the florets (compare photos).

Purple-stem Cat's-tail Purple-stem Cat's-tail Purple-stem Cat's-tail
Habit
Flower spike
Flowering spike
Purple-stem Cat's-tail Purple-stem Cat's-tail Purple-stem Cat's-tail Purple-stem Cat's-tail
Spikelets
Spikelets
Leaf and stem
Leaf ligule


Sand Cat's-tail      Phleum arenarium

A native annual, found on coastal sand dunes and in sandy places in Breckland. Flowers May to July. Plants small, 1-15cm in height. Leaves 2-4mm wide, pale green, flat, pointed at the tip. Leaf sheaths rounded, the uppers slightly inflated. Ligule membranous, up to 7mm long. Flower spike very dense, 5-50mm in length. Spikelets 3-4mm, each with a single floret. Glumes relatively large, equal, enclosing the floret, with a row of comb-like bristles on each margin. Lemmas only about one third the length of the glumes.

Sand Cat's-tail Sand Cat's-tail Sand Cat's-tail Sand Cat's-tail
Habit
Habit
Flower spike
Flowering spike
Sand Cat's-tail Sand Cat's-tail
Spikelets
Seedhead


Crested Dog's-tail      Cynosurus cristatus

A native perennial, widespread in natural and semi-natural grasslands. Flowers June to August. Plants 5-75cm in height, tussock-forming. Leaf blades 1-4mm wide, smooth or minutely downy. Leaf sheaths rounded and smooth. Ligule membranous, up to 0.5-1.5mm in length, with a rounded tip. Flower spike narrow and upright, distinctly one-sided with the central stem clearly visible on one side. Spike made up of a mixture of fertile and sterile spikelets, the fertile 3-6mm long, with 2-5 florets. The one-sided spikes are very distinctive but look rather different at anthesis (flowering spikelets) and before or after anthesis (early or late spikelets).

Crested Dog's-tail Crested Dog's-tail Crested Dog's-tail Crested Dog's-tail
Early flower spike
Flowering spike
Early spikelets
Early spikelets
Crested Dog's-tail Crested Dog's-tail Crested Dog's-tail Crested Dog's-tail
Flowering spikelets
Late spikelets
Leaf upperside
Leaf ligule


Sweet Vernal-grass      Anthoxanthum odoratum

A native perennial, widespread and often common in many kinds of grassy places. Often particularly plentiful in old grasslands such as churchyards and well-managed meadows. Flowers April to July - one of the first grasses to flower in the spring. Plants 10-80cm in height, variably tussocky. Leaf blades 1.5-6mm wide, relatively short but otherwise variable, especially in their hairiness. Leaf sheaths rounded and variably smooth or hairy, with a 'beard' of whiskery hairs at the apex. Ligule membranous, medium to long, rounded at the tip. Flower spike narrow but relatively short, broadest in the middle and tapering to a point, 1-10cm in length. Spikelets 6-10mm with 3 florets, the central one fertile, the other two sterile. Lemmas olive-brown with short awns. Flowers with only two anthers (most grasses have three).

Sweet vernal-grass Sweet vernal-grass Sweet vernal-grass Sweet vernal-grass
Habit
Flowering spikes
Early flower spike
Flowering spike
Sweet vernal-grass Sweet vernal-grass Sweet vernal-grass Sweet vernal-grass
Flowering spike
Leaf
Loose hairs at top
of leaf sheath
Leaf ligule


Crested Hair-grass      Koeleria macrantha

A native perennial of dry soils, both chalky and acidic. Most frequent around Breckland and in coastal sands. Flowers June to July. Plants 10-60cm in height and forming tight tussocks. Leaf blades 1-2.5mm wide, variably hairy or hairless, greyish-green to green, ridged, blunt at the tip. Leaf sheaths rounded, lower sheaths hairy, uppers smooth. Ligule membranous, up to 1mm in length. Flower spike stiff and upright, spreading at anthesis, later closing up tightly. Spikelets 4-6mm with 2-3 florets. Glumes 4-5.5mm. Lemmas 3.5-5.5mm, pointed but unawned. Could be mistaken for a fescue but the leaves are rather different to those of the smaller fescues.

Crested Hair-grass Crested Hair-grass Crested Hair-grass Crested Hair-grass
Habit
Flower spikes
Flowering spike
Late flower spike
Crested Hair-grass Crested Hair-grass Crested Hair-grass Crested Hair-grass
Early spikelets
Flowering spikelets
Leaf detail
Leaf ligule


Mediterranean Hair-grass      Rostraria cristata

An introduced annual from southern Europe, recently recorded from Cambridge. Flowers May to June. Plants 50-60cm in height, solitary or forming small clusters of stems. Leaf blades 3-8mm wide, loosely hairy on both sides. Leaf sheaths rounded, hairy, especially at the top. Ligule membranous, up to 2mm in length. Flower spike 5-60mm long, soft and upright. Spikelets 3-7.5mm with 3-7 florets. Lowest lemma 4-5mm, forked at the tip and with a short awn, 1-3mm long. The flower spike is superficially similar to Crested Hair-grass, but their are many differences, most notably in the hairy leaves and awned lemmas.

Mediterranean Hair-grass Mediterranean Hair-grass Mediterranean Hair-grass Mediterranean Hair-grass
Flowering spike
Flowering spike
Flowering spike
Flowering spikelets
Mediterranean Hair-grass Mediterranean Hair-grass
Leaf
Leaf ligule


Hare's-tail Grass      Lagurus ovatus

An introduced annual from southern Europe which turns up occasionally as an urban weed, perhaps most often from spilt birdseed or spreading from cultivation as a garden curiosity. Flowers June to August. Plants 5-60cm in height, solitary or forming small clusters of stems. Leaf blades 2-14mm wide, velvety hairy. Leaf sheaths rounded, the uppers inflated and initially clasping the flower spike. Ligule membranous, up to 3mm in length. Flower spike 10-70mm long, remarkably soft to the touch. Spikelets 8-10mm, very narrow and each with one floret. Glumes and lemmas terminating in long, fine awns up to 18mm in length.

Hare's-tail Grass Hare's-tail Grass Hare's-tail Grass Hare's-tail Grass
Habit
Early flower spike
Early flower spike
Flowering spike
Hare's-tail Grass Hare's-tail Grass Hare's-tail Grass Hare's-tail Grass
Spikelets close-up
Stem node
Leaf
Leaf ligule


Annual Beard-grass      Polypogon monspeliensis

Considered native in coastal and saltmarsh habitats but is very rare in such places and is more likely to be found as an urban plant on rough or recently disturbed ground. Flowers June to August. Plants 6-60cm in height, solitary or forming small clusters of stems, often sharply bent near the base. Leaf blades 2-8mm wide, hairless. Leaf sheaths rounded. Ligule membranous, 3-15mm in length, toothed. Flower spike 15-160mm long, soft to the touch. Spikelets 2-3mm, each with a single floret. Lemmas about half the length of the glumes (and thus largely hidden by them), the lemmas and glumes both usually awned. Glumes 2-3mm long, shallowly notched at the tip to about 0.2mm (about 1/10th of the length of the glume); lemmas 1-1.5mm long with awn 0.5-1.5mm long.

Annual Beard-grass Annual Beard-grass Annual Beard-grass Annual Beard-grass
Habit
Habit
Flower spikes
Flowering spike
Annual Beard-grass Annual Beard-grass Annual Beard-grass Annual Beard-grass
Flowering spikelets
Spikelet
Leaf
Leaf ligule


Southern Beard-grass      Polypogon maritimus

An introduced species, recorded once in the Cambridge area. Very similar to Annual Beard-grass and requiring very close scrutiny to identify. Glumes 1.5-2.3mm long, more deeply notched at the tip to about 0.5mm (about 1/5th of the length of the glume); lemmas less than 1mm long and usually without an awn.

Southern Beard-grass Southern Beard-grass Southern Beard-grass Southern Beard-grass
Flower spike
Flowering spikelets
Leaf base and stem
Leaf ligule


Common Canary-grass      Phalaris canariensis

Introduced annual from north-west Africa and The Canaries and occasionally grown to produce bird seed, or found where seeding from garden birdfeeders. Flowers June to September. Plants 20-120cm in height, solitary or forming small clusters of stems, often sharply bent near the base and with swollen nodes. Leaf blades 2-15mm wide, hairless. Leaf sheaths rounded. Ligule membranous, 3-8mm in length. Flower spike 2-7cm long. Spikelets 6-10mm, each consisting of two sterile florets and a single fertile floret. Glumes greatly enlarged, 6-10mm long, whitish with green stripes and entirely hiding the florets. Lemmas tiny. Glumes broadly and neatly rounded, terminating in a small spike at the tip.

Common Canary-grass Common Canary-grass Common Canary-grass Common Canary-grass
Habit
Early flower spike
Flowering spike
Spikelets
Common Canary-grass Common Canary-grass Common Canary-grass Common Canary-grass
Spikelets
Spikelet
Leaf ligule
Stem node


Lesser Canary-grass      Phalaris minor

Introduced annual from southern Europe and occasionally found as a short-lived casual on disturbed ground. Flowers June to July. Plants 20-100cm in height, solitary or forming small clusters of stems. Leaf blades 2-10mm wide, hairless. Leaf sheaths rounded to lightly keeled. Ligule membranous, 6-8mm in length. Flower spike 2-5cm long. Spikelets 4-6.5mm, each consisting of two sterile florets and a single fertile floret. Glumes greatly enlarged, 4-6.5mm long, whitish with green stripes and entirely hiding the florets. Lemmas tiny. Glumes narrower than those of Common Canary-grass, terminating in a larger spike at the tip.

Lesser Canary-grass Lesser Canary-grass Lesser Canary-grass Lesser Canary-grass
Early flower spike
Flowering spike
Flowering spike
Spikelets
Lesser Canary-grass Lesser Canary-grass Lesser Canary-grass Lesser Canary-grass
Spikelets
Leaf sheath
Leaf ligule
Leaf ligule


Awned Canary-grass      Phalaris paradoxa

Introduced annual from the Mediterranean region, rarely found where self-seeding on rough ground but not persisting. Flowers June to August. Plants 20-75cm in height, solitary or forming small clusters of stems. Leaf blades 2-6mm wide, hairless. Leaf sheaths rounded. Ligule membranous, 3-4mm in length. Flower spike 1.5-5cm long. Spikelets arranged in clusters, the lowermost in each cluster under-developed and barren, the uppermost consisting of fertile floret surrounded by a few sterile florets. Glumes narrower than those of other canary-grasses, terminating in two, diverging spikes with green margins.

Awned Canary-grass Awned Canary-grass Awned Canary-grass
Flowering spike
Flowering spikelets
Spikelets