Alopecurus species - Foxtails and Black Grass

Alopecurus geniculatus, Marsh Foxtail, prefers wet areas such as badly-drained fields and gateways. It does not grow tall and its inflorescence is dark and slim, with prominent brown anthers giving the fox-tail appearance. The stem has a sharp upward bend - the ‘knee’ of ‘geniculatus’ (see the arrows in the pictures).

Alopecurus pratensis, Meadow Foxtail, is a tall grass and one of the earliest of the common grasses to flower. It is frequent on roadsides and field edges and shares the ‘fox-tail’ appearance. And, if you follow the stem right down, it also has a bent ‘knee’, albeit less pronouced.

Alopecurus myosuroides is a troublesome weed in the South of England but is an uncommon plant in VC77. Its inflorescence is taller and narrower, with pale anthers - so not readily mistaken for the much more frequent species above.