Species: Alopecurus carolinianus Walt.

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Alopecurus carolinianus Walt.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Poaceae

Genus:

Alopecurus

Species Synonyms:

Alopecurus macounii Vasey
Alopecurus ramosus Poir.

Common Names:

tufted meadow-foxtail
Carolina meadow-foxtail

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southwestern British Columbia, southern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southern Saskatchewan; Val Marie – Wood Mountain

Ecoregion:

Cypress Upland, Mixed Grassland, Moist Mixed Grassland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

dry slough or creek bottoms and mudflats

Canada:

shores, ditches, fields, and low grounds

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 N2 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Tufted meadow-foxtail is endangered because of rarity in Saskatchewan. It is regionally restricted to one general region of the province. Possible threats are inferred by occurrences in heavily populated areas, fragile habitats, or areas of possible developments.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

5 – 45 cm

Roots:

rhizome short, creeping

Stems:

annual, tufted, stiffly erect or bent at base, branched at base

Leaves:

blades rigid, 1 – 10 cm long, 1 – 3.5 mm wide, lower surface rough hairy

Inflorescence:

appearing unbranched, 1 – 5 cm long, 2 – 5 mm wide, oblong

Spikelets:

to 4 mm long

Florets:

glumes 2 – 3 mm long, slightly fused at base, tip obtuse, keel and lateral nerves hairy; lemma awn arising from below the middle, 2.5 – 5 mm long, usually bent; anthers less than 0.6 mm long

Fruits:

caryopsis

ALOPECURUS KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Inflorescences thick, to 1 cm wide; glumes densely woolly	A. alpinus
1 Inflorescences slender to 0.5 cm wide; glumes with hairy margins or long, straight hairs	2

2 Anthers less than 0.6 mm long; plants annual, not rooting at nodes on creeping stem base, stem tending to be more erect	A. carolinianus
2 Anthers greater than 0.6 mm long; plants perennial, tending to root at nodes from creeping stem base	3

3 Stems erect or spreading; lemma awn slightly exserted, usually straight; anthers orange yellow	A. aequalis var. aequalis
3 Stems usually creeping; lemma awn greatly exserted, usually bent; anthers pale yellow or purplish	A. geniculatus var. geniculatus

* Alopecurus X haussknechtianus is a hybrid between A. aequalis var. aequalis and A. geniculatus var. geniculatus with intermediate characteristics.