GrassWildAnnual

Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem. & Schult.

Yellow foxtail

No photograph on file for this species yet. Contributors can submit one.

Description

Setaria pumila is an annual tufted grass, usually 20–100 cm tall, with erect or ascending culms arising from a fibrous root system. Stems are cylindrical, smooth, and often branched near the base. Leaves are linear, flat, and slightly rough, usually 10–40 cm long and 5–15 mm wide. Leaf blades are green, tapering gradually toward the tip. Leaf sheaths are smooth, and ligules are membranous with hairs. The inflorescence is a dense cylindrical spike-like panicle, usually 3–15 cm long, resembling a fox tail. Spikelets are surrounded by numerous fine bristles, which are typically yellowish or golden-brown. The bristles persist after maturity and help distinguish this species. Flowers are small, bisexual, and wind-pollinated. The fruit is a small caryopsis, enclosed within persistent lemma and palea.

Diagnostic Characters

Vegetative

Annual tufted habit. Long narrow leaves. Smooth stems.

Floral

Dense foxtail-like panicle. Golden-yellow bristles. Small crowded spikelets.

Distribution

Native range: Native to Eurasia.

In Pakistan: Widely distributed in Pakistan, India, Europe, North America, Australia.

Phenology

Flowering

Fruiting

Flowering: Summer–autumn Fruiting: Autumn

Ethnobotany & Uses

Fodder Importance

Young plants provide Livestock forage, Seasonal grazing material.

Agricultural Importance

Considered a weed in Maize fields, Vegetable crops, Cereal crops.

Ecological Importance

Provides seeds for birds. Supports grassland biodiversity.

UniFlora AI Assistant

Ask about Yellow foxtail

Hello! I'm UniFlora AI. Ask me anything about Yellow foxtail (*Setaria pumila*) — identification tips, flowering season, uses, campus locations, or taxonomy.

Where it grows on campus

East-South-East Campus2

individuals mapped across 1 zone

Show on campus map

Taxonomic Notes

Setaria pumila belongs to tribe Paniceae.