Alopecurus aequalis var. aequalis
Shortawn foxtail
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Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Native
Alopecurus aequalis var. aequalis (Shortawn foxtail) is a native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by differentiated by perennial habit and short awn relative to lemma.
Shortawn foxtail is a native perennial found in northwestern California, the high Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, San Joaquin Valley, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and Great Basin in wet meadows and along shorelines at elevations of 50 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces small greenish-yellow flowers in dense, compact spikes approximately 3 to 6 millimeters wide. Growing with slender stems reaching heights typical of meadow grasses, it forms tufted clumps in moist environments. Its narrow leaves are characteristic of grass species, with blade-like structures emerging from the base of the plant. The flower spikes feature delicate glumes and lemmas with awns slightly extending beyond the lemma body.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; differentiated by perennial habit and short awn relative to lemma
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet meadows, shores
Elevation: 50-3500 m
Outside California: to subarctic, eastern North America, Eurasia
Bloom period
Alopecurus aequalis var. aequalis blooms May-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Hordeum: Alopecurus has soft, single bristles; Hordeum has stiff, spreading bristles in groups of three.; vs Phalaris: Alopecurus has bristles from each flower; Phalaris has awnless, egg-shaped spikes.; vs Phleum: Alopecurus has a bristle from each flower; Phleum is awnless with a smoother cylinder.; vs Plantago: Alopecurus is a grass; Plantago has broad, basal leaves and is not a grass.; vs Cenchrus: Alopecurus has a fuzzy cylinder; Cenchrus has spiny burs enclosing seeds.
Frequently asked questions
Is Alopecurus aequalis var. aequalis native to California?
Yes. Alopecurus aequalis var. aequalis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Alopecurus aequalis var. aequalis bloom?
Alopecurus aequalis var. aequalis blooms May-Jul.
What plant family does Alopecurus aequalis var. aequalis belong to?
Alopecurus aequalis var. aequalis is in the Poaceae family, genus Alopecurus.
What habitat does Alopecurus aequalis var. aequalis grow in?
Alopecurus aequalis var. aequalis grows in Wet meadows, shores.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.