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Alopecurus pratensis L. |
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Graminae Author: Alain Peeters Meadow foxtail (English), Vulpin des prés (French), Wiesen-fuchsschwanz (German). Perennial plant, robust, hairless (except spikelets), rhizomatous. Stems erect, 40 - 120 (- 170) cm high. Blade rolled when young, large (3 - 7 mm), quite coarse, dark green. Ligule of average size, variable, truncated, oblique at the base (cheek the junction blade-sheath on the lower side of the leaf). No auricles. Spike-like, cylindrical inflorescence, narrowed to a fairly sharp point at the top, hairy-silky, dark green to black. Spikelets 1-flowered. Glumes united in the lower third, lengthily ciliate on the back. Lemma awned. The weight of 1000 seeds is 0.60 to 0.99 g (average seed). Chromosome number: 2n = 28. Physiological peculiarities: Very early flowering. Extremely resistant to cold and to long snowy periods. Tolerates shade, namely in old orchards. Wide climate range except in dry climates, namely mediterranean. Drought sensitive. Thrives on cool and wet soils. Optimum on nutrient rich to very rich soils. Grows on slightly acid to alcaline soils. Widespread mainly on clay soils. Other types of soils can be suitable as far as they are wet and nutrient rich: alluvium, colluvium and peat soils. Native to non Mediterranean Europe and temperate Asia. Has become subcosmopolitan in temperate regions. Widespread mainly in the lowlands. In the Alps, grows up to 1200 m. |