About Alopecurus pratensis L.
Alopecurus pratensis L., commonly known as meadow foxtail, flowers from April to June, making it one of the earliest grasses to bloom. This early flowering means surveys conducted in mid-summer often fail to detect the species. It can reach around 110 centimetres (43 inches) in height. Its stems are erect and firm along the shaft, with smooth, cylindrical leaf sheaths. Its leaves are approximately 5 millimetres (0.20 inches) wide and hairless. Meadow foxtail produces a cylindrical inflorescence, with glumes measuring 5–10 millimetres (0.20–0.39 inches) long and spikelets measuring 4–6 millimetres (0.16–0.24 inches) long. The ligule is 1–2.5 millimetres (0.039–0.098 inches) long, with a slightly tattered tip. In ecology, caterpillars of some lepidopteran species use this grass as a food plant; one example is the Essex skipper, Thymelicus lineola. Male mosquitoes are frequently found on its flowers feeding on its nectar. It also acts as a known host for several species of fungi: Cladosporium phlei, Claviceps purpurea, Erysiphe graminis, Mastigosporium album, Mastigosporium rubricosum, Periconia hispidula, Phaeoseptoria poae, and Rhynchosporium orthosporum.
