Alopecurus magellanicus
Alopecurus arundinaceus
alpine meadow-foxtail, boreal foxtail, foxtail, vulpin alpin, vulpin boreale
creeping foxtail, creeping meadow-foxtail, vulpin roseau
(6)10-80 cm, erect or decumbent.
30-110 cm, erect.
1-5 cm long, 8-14 mm wide.
3-10 cm long, 7-13 mm wide.
3-5 mm, connate in the lower 1/8, membranous, densely pilose throughout, keels not winged, ciliate, apices acute and parallel;
lemmas 2.5-4.5 mm, connate in the lower 1/2 - 2/3, glabrous proximally, finely pubescent distally, apices usually obtuse, occasionally truncate, awns 2-6(8) mm, geniculate, exceeding the lemmas by 0-5 mm;
anthers 2.3-3 mm, yellow.
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.
0.7-2 mm.
1-2 mm, truncate;
blades 4-22 cm long, 2.5-7 mm wide;
upper sheaths inflated.
1.3-5 mm, truncate;
blades 6-40 cm long, 3-12 mm wide;
upper sheaths somewhat inflated.
= 98, 100, 105, 112, 117, 119, ca. 120.
= 26, 28, 30.
Alopecurus magellanicus
Alopecurus arundinaceus
Alopecurus magellanicus has an arctic-alpine to subalpine circumpolar distribution, but it has not been found in Scandinavia or Iceland. It grows primarily in wet soils in tundra, meadows, along streams, shorelines, gravelbars, and floodplains, and occasionally in somewhat drier forest openings, in fine or silty to stony soils or moss. It is sometimes co-dominant with Dupontia fisheri in the arctic and subarctic portion of its range. The anthocyanic tint of the plant as a whole greatly increases to the north.
In the past, this species has been called Alopecurus alpinus, the name being attributed to Smith. Dogan (1999) pointed out that the name had first been used by Villars for a different species, which meant that this species had to have another name; Dogan used A. borealis Trin., listing A. magellanicus as a synonym but, because A. magellanicus was published first, it has priority and is therefore the correct name.
The morphological variability in Alopecurus magellanicus has prompted recognition of several segregate taxa, A. stejnegeri Vasey and A. occidentalis Scribn. & Tweedy being two of the more conspicuous extremes. The former are small plants occurring on enriched sites in the arctic, usually around seabird or seal colonies where high nutrient levels produce lush vegetative growth; the latter refers to tall-stemmed plants found in the Rocky Mountains. Because such plants are simply extremes in a continuum of variation, they do not merit taxonomic recognition.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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 troublesome, unpalatable, weedy species, in irrigated pastures (Moyer and Boswall 2002).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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