''Alopecurus pratensis'', known as the meadow foxtail
or the field meadow foxtail, is a
perennial
In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...
grass belonging to the grass family (
Poaceae
Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivate ...
). It is native to Europe and Asia.
This common plant is found on
grasslands
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur ...
, especially on neutral
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...
s. It is found on moist, fertile soils, but avoids waterlogged, light or dry soils. The species forms dense swards leading to low botanical diversity.
This species is widely cultivated for pasture and hay, and has become
naturalised
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-national of a country acquires the nationality of that country after birth. The definition of naturalization by the International Organization for Migration of the ...
in many areas outside its native range, including Australia and North America.
Description
It flowers from April until June – one of the earliest grasses to do so. Any survey work carried out in mid-summer may miss the grass as a result of this.
It can grow to a height of about . The
stem
Stem or STEM most commonly refers to:
* Plant stem, a structural axis of a vascular plant
* Stem group
* Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
Stem or STEM can also refer to:
Language and writing
* Word stem, part of a word respon ...
is erect and hard at the shaft, the sheathes being smooth and cylindrical. The
leaves
A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...
are about wide and hairless. Meadow foxtail has a cylindrical
inflorescence
In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...
with
glume
In botany, a glume is a bract (leaf-like structure) below a spikelet in the inflorescence (flower cluster) of grass
Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family (biology), family of monocotyledonous flow ...
s about wide and
spikelets about long.
The
ligule
A ligule (from "strap", variant of ''lingula'', from ''lingua'' "tongue") is a thin outgrowth at the junction of leaf
A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the plant stem, stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above g ...
is long, with a slightly tattered top.
BSBI Description
retrieved 1 December 2010.
Similarity to other grassland species
''Alopecurus pratensis'' has two common relatives, marsh foxtail (''Alopecurus geniculatus'') and black grass (''A. myosuroides''). It is often confused with timothy
Timothy is a masculine name. It comes from the Greek language, Greek name (Timotheus (disambiguation), Timόtheos) meaning "honouring God", "in God's honour", or "honoured by God". Timothy (and its variations) is a common name in several countries ...
(''Phleum pratense''). Timothy flowers later, from June until August. Its spikelet
A spikelet, in botany, describes the typical arrangement of the inflorescences of grasses, sedges and some other monocots.
Each spikelet has one or more florets. The spikelets are further grouped into panicles or spikes. The part of the sp ...
s have twin hornlike projections arranged in cylindrical panicle
In botany, a panicle is a much-branched inflorescence. (softcover ). Some authors distinguish it from a compound spike inflorescence, by requiring that the flowers (and fruit) be pedicellate (having a single stem per flower). The branches of a p ...
s, while meadow foxtail has a single soft awn.
Ecology
The caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder ...
s of some lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...
ns use it as a foodplant, e.g. the Essex skipper
__NOTOC__
''Thymelicus lineola'', known in Europe as the Essex skipper and in North America as the European skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae.
With a wingspan of 2.5 to 2.9 cm, it is very similar in appearance to ...
(''Thymelicus lineola''). Additionally, male mosquitoes can often be found on this flower drinking the nectar out of it.
It is a known host to fungi. These include:[Helgi Hallgrímsson & Guðríður Gyða Eyjólfsdóttir (2004)]
''Íslenskt sveppatal I - smásveppir'' [Checklist of Icelandic Fungi I - Microfungi
Fjölrit Náttúrufræðistofnunar. Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands [Icelandic Institute of Natural History]. ISSN 1027-832X
* ''Cladosporium phlei''
* ''Claviceps purpurea''
* ''Erysiphe graminis''
* ''Mastigosporium album''
* ''Mastigosporium rubricosum''
* ''Periconia hispidula''
* '' Phaeoseptoria poae''
* '' Rhynchosporium orthosporum''
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment
USDA Plants Profile
Grass Manual Treatment
Photo gallery
{{Taxonbar, from=Q157346
pratensis
Bunchgrasses of Asia
Bunchgrasses of Europe
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus