The United States of America, "from sea to shining sea" was exactly what the
foxtails had in mind when the first colonists spilled the stowaway seed from their pants
cuffs onto new continent, landscapes and habitats. Some foxtail species, like knotroot
foxtail, are believed to have arisen in the New World. But most foxtail species where
alien Eurasian invaders to this continent.
In the middle of the continent, 3 miles north of Madrid, Iowa, not far from the Des Moines
river valley, the foxtail patch seen below has found the gravel roadside an ideal habitat
to grow and diversify in. Notice the yellow foxtail panicle, as well as the wide diversity
of green foxtail panicle types: dark purple, green-white, and colors inbetween. This
panicle color diversity may be due to different green foxtail genotypes comprising this
population, or it may be somatic polymorphism within the same genotype.
The sinister, dark purple foxtail plants below look like alien invaders, which they are. The dark purple leaves and panicles of robust purple (green) foxtail make it easy to spot, as I did one day in the 1970's not far from Monroe, Michigan, home of US Civil War General George Custer and the Monroe shock absorber company. Notice the dense velvetleaf infestation competing with the foxtail in this rich alluvial habitat. Although not apparent, this was a soybean field.
