Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great Plains
63. Poaceae, the Grass Family
3. Alopecurus L. -- Foxtail5. Alopecurus pratensis L. -- Meadow foxtail
Loosely tufted perennial 4-9(12) dm tall; culms stout, erect, sometimes rooting at the lower nodes. Leaves mostly toward the base; blades 2-7 mm wide, smooth or finely scabrous above; ligule membranous, 1-4 mm long. Spikelike panicle grayish, turning stramineous with age, 3-12 cm long, 5-11 mm thick; glumes 3.5-6 mm long, acute-tipped, villous mainly on the keel and lateral nerves. Lemmas 3.5-5.5 mm long, sometimes slightly surpassing the glumes, awn of the lemma usually geniculate, 5-10 mm long, the exserted portion 2-6 mm long; anthers 1.6-3.5 mm long. May--Jul. Wet meadows and marshy places; sparingly planted at one time as a forage and hay crop and possibly persisting in low areas; uncommon; (Intro. from Eurasia and naturalized from Newf. to AK and sporadically over the n U.S.).
Previous Section -- Alopecurus geniculatus L. -- Water foxtail
Return to Family -- Poaceae - The Grass Family
Next Section -- Beckmannia syzigachne (Steud.) Fern. -- Western sloughgrass
