Poaceae
Alopecurus

Alopecurus arundinaceus Poir.

First published in J.B.A.M.de Lamarck, Encycl. 8: 766 (1808)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Temp. Eurasia, NW. Africa. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; 23-105 cm long; 2 -noded. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5-5 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades 6-40 cm long; 3-10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough adaxially. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; subtended by an inflated leaf-sheath. Panicle spiciform; linear; 1.7-7 cm long; 0.6-1.4 cm wide. Primary panicle branches accrescent to a central axis; with evident branchlets on axis. Panicle axis with rounded ribs. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3.5-7 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 3.5-7 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes connate along margins below; 0.25 of their length connate; similar; reaching apex of florets, or exceeding apex of florets; recurved at apex. Lower glume lanceolate; 3.5-7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliate. Lower glume surface pilose; hairy on veins. Lower glume hairs 1-2 mm long. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 3.5-7 mm long; 1-1.2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 3 -veined. Upper glume primary vein ciliate. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy on veins. Upper glume hairs 1-2 mm long. Upper glume apex acute; muticous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 3.5-5.8 mm long; membranous; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma margins connate below; with 0.33 of their length connate. Lemma apex truncate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn dorsal; arising 0.4 way up back of lemma; straight, or curved; 5-7.5 mm long overall; not or scarcely exserted from spikelet.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules absent. Anthers 3; 3-3.6 mm long. Stigmas terminally exserted; pubescent. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform. Disseminule comprising a spikelet.
Distribution
Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, China, and Mongolia. Asia-tropical: India. North America: north-central USA.
Reference
Aveneae. Fl Turk 1993.
[GB]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/163969/42315869

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images