Flora of Victoria

Tufted perennial or annual, culms decumbent, commonly rooting at nodes, finally ascending, to 50 cm long. Leaves glabrous, virtually smooth; blade to 15 cm long and (2–)4–8 mm wide; ligule acute to obtuse, membranous, 1–5 mm long. Inflorescence a spike-like panicle, 2–6(–8) cm long, 4–6 mm wide; glumes 2–3.5 mm long, obtuse, hyaline at apex, connate only at base, hairy along keel and margins; lemma subequal to glumes, obtuse, glabrous, shining brown at maturity, margins usually free, occasionally connate in lower 1–1.5 mm; awn 3–7 mm long, geniculate, inserted about one-quarter above base of lemma; palea absent. Anthers 0.7–1.8 mm long. Flowers Aug.–Dec.

*CVU, *DunT, *GipP, *Glep, *Gold, *HNF, *HSF, *LoM, *MuF, *MuM, *MSB, *NIS, *OtP, *OtR, *RobP, *Strz, *VRiv, *VVP, *Wim. Also naturalised WA, SA, Qld, NSW, Tas. Native to much of the Northern Hemisphere and introduced throughout much of the Southern Hemisphere. In Victoria, a widespread species of wet or low-lying, open sites, particularly in the west, occasionally growing partly submerged and then the stems commonly long and rooting freely from nodes.

Alopecurus australis was described as an indigenous Australian species, but it is generally agreed that the plant represented by that name is not specifically distinct from A. geniculatus and was an early introduction into this country.

Source: Walsh, N.G. (1994). Poaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J. (eds), Flora of Victoria Vol. 2, Ferns and Allied Plants, Conifers and Monocotyledons. Inkata Press, Melbourne.

Updated by: Val Stajsic, 2019-01-07

life Life

kingdom Plantae

phylum Tracheophyta

class Magnoliopsida

superorder Lilianae

order Poales

family Poaceae

genus Alopecurus

Higher taxa

species Alopecurus geniculatus L.

Victoria

**Source:** AVH (2014). *Australia's Virtual Herbarium*, Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria, <http://avh.chah.org.au>. Find Alopecurus geniculatus in AVH ; *Victorian Biodiversity Atlas*, © The State of Victoria, Department of Environment and Primary Industries (published Dec. 2014) Find Alopecurus geniculatus in Victorian Biodiversity Atlas

Bioregion	Occurrence status	Establishment means
Lowan Mallee	present	introduced
Murray Mallee	present	naturalised
Wimmera	present	naturalised
Glenelg Plain	present	introduced
Victorian Volcanic Plain	present	naturalised
Victorian Riverina	present	naturalised
Murray Scroll Belt	present	naturalised
Robinvale Plains	present	naturalised
Murray Fans	present	naturalised
Gippsland Plain	present	naturalised
Otway Plain	present	introduced
Goldfields	present	naturalised
Central Victorian Uplands	present	naturalised
Dundas Tablelands	present	introduced
Northern Inland Slopes	present	naturalised
Highlands-Southern Fall	present	naturalised
Highlands-Northern Fall	present	naturalised
Otway Ranges	present	naturalised
Strzelecki Ranges	present	introduced

Bioregions of Victoria

State distribution

State
Western Australia
South Australia
Queensland
New South Wales
Australian Capital Territory
Victoria
Tasmania

Alopecurus geniculatus L.

Marsh Fox-tail

Victoria

State distribution