Green Bristle-grass - Setaria viridis

Alternative names
Green Foxtail
Description

Usually an erect plant growing up to one metre in height. The leaf blades are up to 40 cm long x 2.5 cm wide and glabrous. The inflorescence is a dense, compact, green, spike-like panicle up to 20 cm long, growing erect or sometimes nodding at the tip only.

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

The County Recorder has asked for a specimen of this plant to be retained for verification

Habitat

Casual of cultivated and waste ground, road verges and rubbish tips, it is mainly introduced in bird-seed.

When to see it

Flowering in summer and early autumn.

Life History

Annual.

UK Status

Widespread in much of England, more coastal further north and in Wales.

VC55 Status

Occurs as an occasional casual in Leicestershire and Rutland. It was not recorded in the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Green Bristle-grass
Species group:
Grasses, Rushes & Sedges
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Poales
Family:
Poaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
1
First record:
29/09/2016 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:
29/09/2016 (Calow, Graham)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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