Alopecurus arundinaceus

Poir.
Common names: Creeping meadow foxtail Vulpin roseau
Introduced
Synonyms: Alopecurus ventricosus
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24. Treatment on page 782.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator: Cindy Roché

Copyright: Utah State University

Plants short-lived perennials; rhizomatous. Culms 30-110 cm, erect. Ligules 1.3-5 mm, truncate; blades 6-40 cm long, 3-12 mm wide; upper sheaths somewhat inflated. Panicles 3-10 cm long, 7-13 mm wide. Glumes 3.6-5 mm, connate in the lower 1/5-1/3, membranous, sparsely pubescent, keels not winged, ciliate, apices acute, divergent, pale green to lead-gray; lemmas 3.1-4.5 mm, connate in at least the lower 1/3, usually glabrous, sometimes with scattered hairs near the apices, apices truncate to obtuse, awns 1.5-7.5 mm, geniculate, exceeding the lemmas by 0-3 mm; anthers 2.2-3.5 mm. 2n = 26, 28, 30.

Distribution

Colo., Wash., N.Dak., Ariz., Utah, Nebr., Alta., Man., Nfld. and Labr. (Labr.), N.W.T., Mont., Wyo., Ky., Idaho, S.Dak.

Discussion

Alopecurus arundinaceus is native to Eurasia, extending north of the Arctic Circle and south to the Mediterranean. It grows in wet, moderately acid to moderately alkaline soils, on flood plains, near vernal ponds, and along rivers, streams, bogs, potholes, and sloughs. It was introduced for pasture in North Dakota and now occurs more widely, having been promoted as a forage species. It is sometimes used in seed mixtures for revegetation projects. It was evaluated for revegetation in Alberta, but there is no evidence that it was ever actually used in that province. Alopecurus arundinaceus suppresses Hordeum jubatum, a trouble¬some, unpalatable, weedy species, in irrigated pastures (Moyer and Boswall 2002).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Alopecurus arundinaceus"
30 +, 28 +  and 26 +
membranous +  and scarious +
0.22 cm2.2 mm <br />0.0022 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
pale green +  and lead-gray +
straight +
midlength +
truncate +  and obtuse +
William J. Crins +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
straight +
basal +  and terminal +
geniculate +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.75 cm7.5 mm <br />0.0075 m <br />) +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
midlength +
swelling +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
not evident +
scabrous +  and glabrous +
involute +  and flat +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
spikelike +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (?) +
Creeping meadow foxtail +  and Vulpin roseau +
not branching +
solitary +  and clumped +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (110 cm1,100 mm <br />1.1 m <br />) +
not woody +
Colo. +, Wash. +, N.Dak. +, Ariz. +, Utah +, Nebr. +, Alta. +, Man. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Labr.) +, N.W.T. +, Mont. +, Wyo. +, Ky. +, Idaho +  and S.Dak. +
1/4 +  and 1/3 +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
sterile +  and bisexual +
compressed +
reduced +
shorter or longer +
unequal +
0.36 cm3.6 mm <br />0.0036 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
coriaceous +  and membranous +
exceeding the florets +  and equaling +
narrowing +
uncinate +
capitate +  and cylindrical +
1/5 +  and 1/3 +
obtuse +  and acute or shortly awned +
membranous +
1-7(9)-veined +
lanceolate +  and ovate +
0.31 cm3.1 mm <br />0.0031 m <br /> (0.45 cm4.5 mm <br />0.0045 m <br />) +
membranous +
glabrous +  and puberulent +
entire +  and lacerate +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
lanceolate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
well-developed +
2-keeled +
reduced +
3cm +  and 10cm +
spikelike +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
not prolonged +
Introduced +
1 +  and 60 +
oval +  and compressed +
0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
Alopecurus ventricosus +
Alopecurus arundinaceus +
Alopecurus +
species +
membranous +
parallel +  and converging +
perennial +  and short-lived +
perennial +  and annual +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +