Alopecurus geniculatus

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Cladus: Commelinids
Ordo: Poales

Familia: Poaceae
Subfamilia: Pooideae
Tribus: Poeae
Subtribus: Alopecurinae
Genus: Alopecurus
Species: A. geniculatus
Name

Alopecurus geniculatus L., 1753
Synonyms

Homotypic
Alopecurus palustris Syme in J.E.Smith, Engl. Bot., ed. 3, 11: 23 (1872), nom. superfl.
Alopecurus palustris subsp. geniculatus (L.) Syme in J.E.Smith, Engl. Bot., ed. 3B, 11: 25 (1872).
Tozzettia geniculata (L.) Bubani, Fl. Pyren. 4: 275 (1901).
Heterotypic
Alopecurus bulbosus With., Bot. Arr. Brit. Pl. ed. 2, 1: 59 (1787), nom. illeg.
Alopecurus subaristatus Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 66 (1813), nom. illeg.
Alopecurus aristulosus Desv., Observ. Pl. Angers: 46 (1818).
Alopecurus geniculatus var. bulbosus Gray, Nat. Arr. Brit. Pl. 2: 143 (1821 publ. 1822).
Alopecurus geniculatus var. bulbosus Steud., Nomencl. Bot.: 31 (1821).
Alopecurus geniculatus var. aquaticus Schltdl., Fl. Berol. 1: 39 (1823).
Alopecurus geniculatus var. natans Noulet, Fl. Bass. Sous-Pyrén.: 695 (1837), nom. illeg.
Alopecurus geniculatus var. bulbosus N.H.F.Desp., Fl. Sarthe: 301 (1838).
Alopecurus australis Nees, London J. Bot. 2: 412 (1843).
Alopecurus geniculatus var. virens Peterm., Bot. Excurs. Leipzig: 524 (1846).
Alopecurus geniculatus var. salinus Blytt, Norsk Fl.: 149 (1847).
Alopecurus geniculatus var. strictus Andersson, Pl. Scand. 2: 106 (1852).
Alopecurus geniculatus var. viridis Neilr., Fl. Nied.-Oesterr.: 35 (1857).
Alopecurus geniculatus var. vinealis Neilr., Fl. Nied.-Oesterr.: 35 (1859).
Alopecurus nothus R.Arndt, Oesterr. Bot. Z. 10: 230 (1860).
Alopecurus geniculatus var. pumila Vasey in J.Macoun, Cat. Canad. Pl. 2(4): 189 (1888).
Alopecurus pallescens Piper, Fl. Palouse Reg.: 18 (1901).
Alopecurus geniculatus f. normanii Neuman, Not. Not. 1908: 22 (1907).
Alopecurus geniculatus f. aquaticus Holmb., Skand. Fl. 1: 136 (1922).
Alopecurus geniculatus var. patagonicus Parodi, Revista Fac. Agron. Veterin. 7: 363 (1931).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Asia-Temperate
Regional: Central Asia
Afghanistan, Kirgizstan, Nepal, Uzbekistan, West Himalaya
Regional: Caucasus
North Caucasus
Regional: Western Asia
Turkey
Continental: Africa
Regional: Northern Africa
Algeria
Continental: Europe
Regional: Middle Europe
Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland
Regional: Southeastern Europe
Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Romania, Sicilia, Ukraine, Yugoslavia
Regional: Southwestern Europe
France, Portugal, Spain
Regional: Eastern Europe
Central European Rus, East European Russia
Regional: Northern Europe
Finland, Norway, Sweden, North European Russi, Northwest European R
Regional: Northern Europe
Føroyar, Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland
Introduced into:
Alaska, Alberta, Amur, Antipodean Is., Argentina Northeast, Argentina South, Arizona, Azores, British Columbia, California, Canary Is., Chatham Is., Chile South, Colorado, Connecticut, Crozet Is., District of Columbia, Ecuador, Falkland Is., Greenland, Gulf of Guinea Is., Illinois, Iowa, Kerguelen, Kuril Is., Labrador, Maine, Malaya, Marion-Prince Edward, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mexico Northeast, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New South Wales, New York, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Newfoundland, North Dakota, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Primorye, Prince Edward I., Queensland, Québec, Rhode I., Sakhalin, Saskatchewan, South Australia, South Dakota, South Georgia, Tasmania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Victoria, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Western Australia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Yukon

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum. Tomus I: 60. Reference page.

Additional references

Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2022. Alopecurus geniculatus in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2022 August 12. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2022. Alopecurus geniculatus. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2022. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2022 August 12. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2022. Alopecurus geniculatus. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 12 August 2022.
International Plant Names Index. 2022. Alopecurus geniculatus. Published online. Accessed: August 12 2022.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Alopecurus geniculatus in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service.

Vernacular names
dansk: Knæbøjet Rævehale
Deutsch: Knick-Fuchsschwanz
English: Water Foxtail
suomi: Polvipuntarpää
íslenska: Knjáliðagras
Nederlands: Geknikte Vossenstaart
polski: Wyczyniec kolankowy
svenska: Kärrkavle

Alopecurus geniculatus is a species of grass known by the common name water foxtail[2] or marsh foxtail.[3] It is native to much of Eurasia and introduced into North America, South America, and Australia. It grows in moist areas.[4][5][6][7]

Alopecurus geniculatus is a perennial grass forming bunches of erect stems up to about 60 cm (24 inches) in height. The leaves are up 12 cm (5 inches) in length. The pale green to purplish inflorescence is a dense panicle up to 6 or 7 cm long which blooms in dusty yellow-orange anthers.[8][9][10] reproduces sexually by seeds and can reproduce vegetatively by rooting at stem nodes.[2]

Environmental conservation

Alopecurus geniculatus is a component of purple moor grass and rush pastures a type of Biodiversity Action Plan habitat in the UK. It occurs on poorly drained neutral and acidic soils of the lowlands and upland fringe.
Nonindigenous spread

The grass has spread significantly in the United States since it was first introduced.[2]
Spread
Hybrid

Alopecurus geniculatus is known to hybridize with other members of the Alopecurus genus. Alopecurus x haussknechtianus is a hybrid between A. geniculatus and A. aequalis, Alopecurus x brachystylus is a hybrid between A. geniculatus and A. pratensis, Alopecurus x plettkei is s hybrid between A. geniculatus and A. bulbosus (Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland 2016)[2]
References

The Plant List, Alopecurus geniculatus L.
"water foxtail (Alopecurus geniculatus) - Species Profile". nas.er.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
Moore, D. M. 1983. Flora de Tierra del Fuego 396 pp. A. Nelson; Missouri Botanical Garden, Oswestry; St. Louis
Soreng, R. J. 2003. Alopecurus. 48: 97–106. In R. J. Soreng, P. M. Peterson, G. Davidse, E. J. Judziewicz, F. O. Zuloaga, T. S. Filgueiras & O. Morrone (eds.) Catalogue of New World Grasses (Poaceae): IV. Subfamily Pooideae, Contributions from the United States National Herbarium. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Böcher, T. W., K. Holmen & K. Jacobsen. 1968. Flora of Greenland (ed. 2) 312 pp.
Bor, N. L. 1960. Grass. Burma, Ceylon, India & Pakistan i–767. Pergamon Press, Oxford
Altervista Flora Italiana, Coda di topo ginocchiata, Vulpin genouillé, capim-cauda-de-raposa-dobrado, kärrkavle, Alopecurus geniculatus includes photos and European distribution map
Biota of North America Program 2014 county disgtribution map
Dogan, M. 1999. A concise taxonomic revision of the genus Alopecurus L. (Gramineae). Türk Botanik Dergisi 23(4): 245–262