Alopecurus geniculatus

Marsh Foxtail at Jerangle, NSW

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Identification history

Alopecurus geniculatus	13 Feb 2024	natureguy
Alopecurus geniculatus	13 Feb 2024	natureguy
Deyeuxia sp.	29 Jan 2024	Tapirlord
Unidentified	29 Jan 2024	JaneR

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User's notes

Completely unknown to me. Hopefully someone can build on these details and sort it out: Habitat: wet soils at edge of small upland creek, silty. Spike length: 3 to 4 cm,: narrow, 2 mm. Florets circular around rhachis, deciduous, leaving tiny peduncle. Ligule is triangular, acute, to 4-5 mm long. Glume: (can't see clearly with hand lens): possibly notched: with awn. Lamina: up to 70 mm long, x 3 mm wide: linear-lanceolate.

9 comments

JaneR wrote:

29 Jan 2024

I wondered about Deyeuxia spp but its ligule is described as truncate or obtuse.

Habitat for this grass was a wide open valley, no montane forest or even any trees at all.

MattM wrote:

31 Jan 2024

The PlantNet description for Deyeuxia carinata is "Leaves with ligule membranous, truncate, ciliate at apex, 5–6 mm long". I think this plant looks good for Deyeuxia.

MattM wrote:

31 Jan 2024

Sorry Jane. Somehow I interpreted your comment as you showing concern that the ligule is membranous. Was it the glumes or the lemmas that were awned?

JaneR wrote:

1 Feb 2024

I haven't been successful in pulling a floret apart to see the flower parts clearly, points of attachment. Likely it is the lemma that is awned; but I haven't seen anything that I can confidently say are the glumes.
the overall length of the floret is 2-3 mm.
The edges of (glume or lemma - can't see clearly) are pilose.
The awn is about 3 mm long, angled away from floret (just visible in photo 3).

Although it does look like a Deyeuxia, I am still puzzled by the shape of the ligule which doesn't seem right for Deyeuxia: but shape is not a concern for you ? Second photo shows its length but not its shape.

MattM wrote:

1 Feb 2024

I'm not familiar enough with Deyeuxia or most high country grasses to comment on the shape. I have samples of a few Deyeuxia so I can have a look later and compare.

JaneR wrote:

13 Feb 2024

identified from live material as Alopecurus geniculatus at the National Herbarium this morning.

natureguy wrote:

13 Feb 2024

Thanks Jane, much appreciated

MattM wrote:

13 Feb 2024

Thanks for following that up. Shame it's a weed.

JaneR wrote:

13 Feb 2024

Yes, disappointing it is an introduced species. Occurrence at this site ( in terms of elevation, region) seems to be a bit unusual. It wasn’t abundant, I noticed just one clump beside the river: more problematic for the river was the extensive dense Rorippa nasturtium-aquatica covering its surface.

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