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GRASSES OF THE COLUMBIA BASIN OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Heather Stewart, Richard Hebda Major Groups of Grasses Table of Contents Glossary Alopecurus Foxtails The common name Foxtail aptly describes the shape of the flowerhead of this genus. The species that make up Alopecurus have a dense, cylinderlike spike for a flowerhead. This genus has a similar appearance to Phleum pratense, a common pasture grass introduced from Europe. The Alopecurus species have blunt-tipped glumes with soft hairs along the keel and the lemma has a short awn. The glume of Phleum pratense has a stiff bristle, but the lemmas are awnless. Alopecurus species are often found growing partially submerged in wet sites. The species generally provide good forage but are rarely abundant. Alopecurus Adapted from Douglas et al. (1994) 1a. Straight awn arising from near middle of the lemma; extended less than 1.5 mm longer than the glumes............................................................Alopecurus aequalis 1b. Bent awn arising arising from lower third of the lemma; extended more than 1.5 mm beyond the glumes................................................Alopecurus geniculatus   Alopecurus aequalis Sobol. Little Meadow-foxtail Plant: Alopecurus aequalis is a native species that grows to 20-70 cm tall. It is a tufted perennial with a dense, cylinderlike spike. There is a single flower in each spikelet. Leaves and Stem: The sheaths are open and there are no auricles. The ligules are 4-8 mm high and are membranelike, pointed and ragged or smooth along the edge. The flat leaf blades are 2-5 mm wide and sometimes drooping. The upper surface of the leaves feels rough. Flowerhead and Flowers: The flowerhead is a pale green, dense spike varying between 1.5-7 cm long. The glumbes are 1.8-2.5 mm long with blunt tips and long soft hairs on the back and along the nerves. The lemma is shorter than the glumes, and usually only the lemma awn is visible slightly above the glumes. The straight awn is attached at or below the midlength of the lemma. Habitat: Little Meadow-foxtail grows along wet lakeshores, ditches and streambanks from the lowland to subalpine elevations. In the Columbia Basin region Little Meadow-foxtail is widespread and has been collected from Kootenay Landing, Nelson, Kokanee Creek Park, Lardeau, Wasa and along the Flathead River. Similar Species: Little Meadow-foxtail resembles Water Meadow-foxtail (Alopecurus geniculatus) in general appearance, but if you look closely you will notice that Water Meadow-foxtail has a bent awn. This feature is obvious when the glumes are removed. The lemma awn of Water Meadow-foxtail is almost twice as long as the lemma. Alopecurus geniculatus L. Water Meadow-foxtail Plant: Alopecurus geniculatus is an introduced species that grows to 30-50 cm tall. It is a tufted perennial with a dense cylinder-shaped spike. Leaves and Stem: The sheath is open and there are no auricles. The ligules extend 3-5 mm high and are pointed or blunt with smooth or ragged edges. The flat leaf blades are rough on the upper surface, and are 2-6 mm wide. Flowerhead and Flowers: The pale-green to purplish flowerhead is 2-7 cm long and cylinder-shaped. The glumes have long hairs on the keel and more or less silky hairs across the back. The blunt glume tips appear transparent at the edges. The lemma is shorter than the glumes, and the bent awns are attached 0.5 mm above the lemma base but extend well beyond the glumes. Habitat: Water Meadow-foxtail was introduced from Eurasia and grows along wet shorelines, ditches from the lowland to montane zones. In the Columbia Basin region Water Meadow-foxtail has been collected only along the Slocan River. Similar Species: The flowerhead of Water Meadow-foxtail appears fuzzier than Little Meadow-foxtail because of its longer awns.

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