Alopecurus carolinianus

Carolina foxtail

Family: Poaceae · Type: annual · Native

Carolina foxtail is a California native annual found in the North Coast Ranges, California Foothills, Great Valley, Central Coast, Southern Coast, and Peninsular Ranges in vernal pools and disturbed ground at elevations of 50 to 1,400 meters. Flowering from May to June, this delicate grass produces pale green to white spikelets with distinctive bent awns extending beyond the spikelet body. Growing with slender stems 15 to 45 centimeters tall, it forms thin, loosely clustered bunches in open habitats. Its narrow leaves are 1 to 8 centimeters long and 1 to 3 millimeters wide, with a ligule measuring 3 to 4.5 millimeters. The inflorescence is compact, measuring 1 to 7 centimeters long and 4 to 6 millimeters wide, with small glumes and delicate anthers.

Habitat: Vernal pools, open, disturbed ground

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 50-1400 m

Bioregions: NCoR, CaRF, GV, CCo, SCo, PR

California counties: Butte, Kern, Fresno, Los Angeles, Sutter, Monterey, Lake, Plumas, Merced, Madera, Shasta, Lassen, Yuba, Modoc, San Diego, Humboldt, Calaveras, Sacramento, Kings, Mono, El Dorado, San Joaquin, Ventura

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.