Alopecurus aequalis*


Alopecurus aequalis* Sobol. Flora
Petropolitana 16
(1799).

Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Pooideae.
Tribe Poeae.

Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information
: Habitat in locis uliginosis cum Alopecurus
geniculatus
, in lacubus natans est, Sobolewski s.n. (HT: LE).

Key references
(books and floras):
[2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia
, [2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South
Australia
(190), [2009] A.Wilson (ed.). Flora of Australia, Vol 44A.
Poaceae 2 (253).

Illustrations:
[2006] J.Jessop, G.R.M.Dashorst, F.M.James, Grasses of South Australia  (191, fig. 139), [2009]. A.Wilson (ed.),
Flora of Australia
44A: Poaceae 2 (232, Fig.32).

Derivation: L. aequus,
equal; -alis, pertaining to. Glumes or lemmas similar in length.

Habit. Annual
or perennial. Culms erect or geniculately ascending or decumbent, 10–35 cm
tall. Ligule an eciliate membrane, 2–5 mm long, acute. Leaf-blades 2–10 cm
long, 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.

Inflorescence.
Inflorescence solid, a panicle. Panicle linear, 1–5 cm long, 0.3–0.6 cm wide.

Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. Fertile spikelets 1-flowered, comprising 1 fertile
floret(s), without rachilla extension, elliptic or oblong, laterally
compressed, 2–3.1 mm long.

Glumes. Glumes
similar. Lower glume elliptic or oblong, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled,
wingless, 3 -nerved. Lower glume surface indumented. Upper glume elliptic or
oblong or ovate, 2–3.7 mm long, membranous, keeled, 1-keeled, wingless, 3
-nerved. Upper glume surface indumented.

Florets.
Fertile lemma 2–3.2 mm long, keeled, 4–5 -nerved. Lemma apex awned, 1 -awned.
Median (principal) awn dorsal, 1–4 mm long overall. Palea absent. Lodicules
absent or vestigial. Anthers 3.

Continental
Distribution
: Europe, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia, North
America, and South America.

Australian
Distribution
: New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia

New South Wales:
South-Western Plains, South Far Western Plains. Victoria: East
Gippsland, Lowan Mallee, Murray Mallee, Riverina, Wannon, Wimmera. South Australia: South-eastern.

Notes. Introduced.
Recorded from Vic. and far SW, N.S.W. and south eastern S.A. Native to most of Europe, Asia and North
America. In wet places such as swampy areas and irrigation channels. Flowers
Dec. Fruits Sept.-Mar.

AVH 2011

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith