Alopecurus geniculatus L., Sp. Pl. 60 (1753).

T: Habitat in Europae uliginosis.
A. australis Nees,

Illustrated in: Hubbard (1954) 306.

Vegetative form. Perennial, erect or geniculate, caespitose. Leaves mostly basal. Culms 7-40 cm high, branched above or unbranched above, 2-3 noded. Mid-culm nodes glabrous, exposed, pigmented (purple) or not pigmented, constricted. Mid-culm internodes hollow, glabrous, terete. Young shoots intravaginal. Leaves non-auriculate. Basal leaf sheaths not keeled, terete (flag sheath often inflated), glabrous, the same colour as the lamina or purple, with the veins equally striate, with margins free, membranous, smooth. Ligule 3-4.6(-6) mm long, not lobed, decurrent, membranous, smooth, acute to obtuse, entire, abaxially glabrous or hairy. Collar glabrous. Distinct callus at blade-sheath junction absent. Leaf blades joining the sheath gradually, flat, linear, 50-115 mm long, 1-3(-7) mm wide; adaxially scabrous (on veins), shallowly grooved; abaxially glabrous or abaxially scabrous (sparsely), with the veins equally striate; with margins scabrous, apices acute (tapering to a point), hooded. Prophyll 20-35 mm long, the keels puberulous.

Reproductive organization. Plants bisexual. Rudimentary spikelets at the base of the inflorescence, or absent. Incomplete spikelets absent. Hermaphrodite florets protogynous. Inflorescence of chasmogamous spikelets.

Inflorescence. Conspicuous vestigial foliar structure subtending the infloresence present, or absent. Inflorescence a panicle, pallid and green or pallid, green, and purple, erect, contracted (narrow and spike-like, spikelets densely overlapping), 3-8 mm wide, oblong, symmetrical, partially exserted or fully exserted (often the base enclosed by the inflated flag sheath). Main inflorescence axis 85-170 mm long. Peduncles 25-135 mm long, glabrous, ridged. Rachides 25-70 mm long, strap-like (?), glabrous or puberulous (hairs sparse). Pulvini absent. Primary inflorescence branches glabrous or puberulous (hairs sparse); solitary (fused to the rachis), spreading, spiral, without spikelets inserted at the base. Spikelets 2 on a typical ultimate inflorescence branch, on second order branches, erect, spreading.

Hermaphrodite (`perfect') spikelets. Hermaphrodite spikelets pedicellate, 2.6-3.2 mm long, 1.6-2 mm wide, laterally compressed, oblong or cuneate, disarticulating as a separate unit, disarticulating below the glumes. Pedicels 0.25-1 mm long, erect, thick, sparsely scabrous to puberulous, straight. Glumes two per spikelet, connate, similar, equal in length, exceeding the florets, longer than the proximal lemma. Lower glume narrowly oblong, 2.6-3.2 mm long, c. 0.6 mm wide, membranous, keeled, without a keel-wing, obtuse, entire, muticous, margin ciliolate; 1-2 veined, veins obscure (but green), midvein hirsute (hairs to 1 mm long); intercostal regions hirsute. Upper glume narrowly oblong, 2.8-3.2 mm long, 0.6-0.8 mm wide, membranous, keeled, without a keel-wing, obtuse, entire, muticous, margin ciliolate; 2-3 veined, veins obscure (but green), midvein hirsute; intercostal regions hirsute. Rudimentary florets absent. Incomplete florets absent. Hermaphrodite florets 1 per spikelet. Rachilla not apically prolonged. Callus absent. Lemma similar in firmness to the glumes, laterally compressed, ovate, 2.3-3 mm long, 0.7-0.8 mm wide, membranous, keeled (at base, below awn insertion), obtuse to truncate, entire or dentate; awned. Lemma margins connate (lower 1/2); smooth. Lemma 5 veined. Lemma veins not confluent apically, obscure, glabrous; intercostal regions glabrous. Awns 1, median. Median awn much longer than the body of the lemmas, 5-7.7 mm long, 1 veined, terete, dorsal, arising from the lower half of the lemma (1/4 lemma length from base), weakly geniculate, column twisted (bristle often purplish), scabrous. Palea absent. Lodicules absent. Stamens 3. Anthers 1.5-1.8 mm long, yellow or purple, basally 2-lobed (1/3-1/2 anther length). Ovary elliptic, glabrous. Styles 2, apical, fused.

Fruit. Fruit free from both lemma and palea, ovoid (?, hemispherical), laterally compressed, 0.9-1.2 mm long, 0.5-0.7 mm wide, not grooved, glabrous, without a fleshy apex. Hilum 0.1 mm long, punctiform, at the base. Embryo 0.5 mm long, not waisted, with an epiblast; endosperm soft.

Cytology. 2n = 28 (European).

Common name. Marsh Foxtail.

Distribution. Introduced. Tasmania, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland, and South Australia. World distribution: Western Eurasia, USSR, Mediterranean, and North America.

Ecology. In damp areas. Flowers Aug.-Nov. Fruits Oct.-Jan.

Vouchers. Specimens examined morphologically: Qld.: "Warrie", Nindigully, black self-mulching soil, 21 Oct. 1944, G.H.Allen A 642 (CANB), dry specimen. N.S.W.: 5 km S of Nyngan on Tullamore ? Rd, grey-brown cracking clay, 6 Nov. 1978, C.W.E.Moore 7690 (CANB); Dunlop Ck on Louth-Tilpa Rd, E of Darling R., heavy grey cracking clay in bed of creek, C.W.E.Moore 8130 (CANB); Mt. Mulyah, c. 60 km NW of Louth, deep red-brown silty clay in area of internal drainage (claypan), 5 Nov. 1981, C.W.E.Moore 8241 (CANB); 11.5 km from Louth on Tilpa Rd, W of Darling R., deep grey cracking clay, 13 Nov. 1978, C.W.E.Moore 7788 (CANB). Vic.: Mildura, Jan 1935, W.Zimmer (CANB); Baddaginnie, 6 Nov. 1935, R.A.Black 1182.000 (CANB); Johnson's Bend, Murray R., near Mildura, depression near river, plant pale green with orange-brown anthers, 25 May 1969, L.A.Craven 1568 (CANB!, MEL, K); Tas.: Alongside northern bridge over George R., St. Helens, 23 Oct. 1977, D.I.Morris (HO).

Classification. Pooideae; Poodae; Aveneae; section Alopecurus, see G.C.S.Clarke in Tutin ed., (1980) p. 241.

Clarke states "lemma ... margins free", but all Australian material, and European material under this name at CANB has the lemma connate for half its length.

References. Morphology: Morris (1991) 101; Hubbard (1954) 307; Clarke in Tutin ed., (1980) 242; Jaobs & Hastings in Harden ed. (1993) 4: 567. Cytology: Clarke in Tutin ed., (1980) 242; Hubbard (1954) 307. Illustrations: alopec01.gif

Cite this publication as:
C.M. Weiller, M.J. Henwood, J. Lenz and L. Watson (1995 onwards). `Pooideae (Poaceae) in Australia - Descriptions and Illustrations'. URL http://muse.bio.cornell.edu/delta/
Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993) should also be cited.

References and Acknowledgements