Alopecurus myosuroides. Field Foxtail Grass. 
ALOPECURUS Llmxi Gin. PI . Triandria Dioynia. 
Cal. 2-valvis. Cor. i -valvis' 
RaiSyn.Gtn. 27. Herbie graminifoliie flore imperfecto culmiferje. 
ALOPECURUS myofiroM's fpica cylindrica longiffima, glumis glabris ; culmo fuberedo. Hudfm FL 
Angl.p. 23. 
ALOPECURUS Hgrefiis culmo fpicato ere&o, glumis laevibus. Lin.Syfi. I egetab. p 93. Sp. PI. p. 89. 
ALOPECURUS culmo erecto, fpicato, calyce ciliato. Haller hift. helv. p. 249. 
GRAMEN Typhoides fpica anguftiore. Bauhni Pin. 4. 
GRAMEN cum cauda muris purpurafcente. I. Bauhm. 2. p. 4-73- 
GRAMEN fpicatum, fpica cylindracea tenuiffima longiore. Scheuch. Gram. 69. 
GRAMEN myofuroides majus, fpica longiore, ariftis reftis. RallSyn.p. 397, The greater Moufe-tad Grafs. 
GRAMEN alopecuroides fpica longa majus et minus. Parhnfon 1169. 
GRAMEN alopecuroides minus. Gerard emac. 10. LightfootFl. Scot. p. 91. Schreber. Gram. 140. /. r 9 - 
f£' 2 - 
RADIX annua, fibrofa, fufca. 
CULMUS pedalis, ere&us, bafi faepe infrattus, ngidiuf- | 
cuius, teres, geniculatus. 
f 
? 
FOLIA triuncialia, ad duas lineas lata, lawia, ftriata, | 
bafi membrana obtufa inftrufta. | 
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SPICA longa, tenuis, fubcylindracea, purpurafcens. | 
I 
I 
SPICULiE unifloras, ovato-acutae, in fpicam imbrica- | 
tim congeftse, externe convexulae, interne * 
planse, fig. 1. | 
CALYX: Gluma bivalvis, uniflora; valvulae fubas- * 
quales, muticae, nervofae, bafi annulo cinfta, | 
fS • 2> 3- I 
I 
COROLLA univalvis, valvula calyce paulo longiore, $ 
membranacea, laevi, fig. 4, Arifta re£ta, e | 
bafi valvulae exferta, fpicula duplo fere lon- $ 
giore inftru&a, fig. 5. 
I 
■% 
STAMINA: Filamenta tria, capillaria, ere£ta, val- | 
vulis calycinis duplo longiora: Anthers ^ 
oblongae,* utrinque furcate, fig. 6. | 
¥ 
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PISTILLUM: Germen minimum,^-. 7: Stylus | 
brevis, bafi tumidus,^. 8 : Stigmata duo, ^ 
letacea villofa apice reflexa, fig. 9. | 
SEMEN unicum, minimum, fubrotundum, corolla et | 
calyce obveftitum, fig. 10. ¥ 
ROOT annual, fibrous, and brown. 
STALK a foot high, upright, often crooked at bot- 
tom, ftiffilh, round, and jointed ; the joints 
fmooth and purple. 
LEAVES about three inches long and two lines broad, 
fmooth, ftriated, furnilhed at bottom with 
an obtufe membrane. 
SPIKE long, flender, fomewhat cylindrical, and pur- 
plilh. 
SPICULaE uniflorous, of a pointed oval fhape, lying 
clofely one over another in a fpike, externally 
roundilh, internally flat, fig. 1 . 
CALYX : a Glume of two valves, containing one 
flower ; the valves nearly equal, not termina- 
ted by any ihort Arifta, ftrongly rib’d, and 
fur rounded at bottom by a ring, fig. 2, 3. 
COROLLA of one valve, the valve a little longer 
than the calyx, membranous, and fmooth, 
fig. 4, furnifhed with a ftraight Arifta, which 
proceeds from the bafe of the valve, and is 
nearly twice the length of the fpicula, fig. 5. 
STAMINA: three Filaments, very fine, upright, 
twice the length of the valves of the calyx ~ 
Anthera: oblong, and forked at each end, 
fig- 6. 
PISTILLUM: Germen very fmall, fig. 7: Style 
fhort, fwelled at bottom, fig. 8 : Stigmata 
two, tapering, villous, bent back at top,^r. 9. 
SEED one, very minute, enclofed by the corolla and 
calyx, fig. 10. 
THE Field Foxtail Grafis, with refpeift to agriculture, may be confidered rather as a weed than as an 
ufeful pafture grafs. 
It is very common in cultivated ground ; and often abounds fo much in corn fields, as to be prejudicial, 
among rubbifh, and on banks by the tides tff fields, it is alfo frequently found; but fcarce ever in meadows. 
It flowers early, and continues to blofl'om till Autumn ; and comes into bloom the quickeft, after being 
fown, of any grafs that I have hitherto noticed. 
It is diftinguilhed from the other fpecies of the fame genus, by its long flender fpike, which tapers to 
a point, and has fome refemblance to a moufes tail, whence J. Bauhine’s and Mr. Hudson’s names. This 
fpike is generally of a purplilh colour, at leaft on that fide which is raoft expofed to the fun ; though 
ibmetimes the whole fpike appears of a whitilh colour. The form of the fpike, and its place of growth, will, in 
general, point out this fpecies plainly enough. But if thefe fhould be found deficient, the ftudent may have 
recourfe to the annulus or ring, which lurrounds the bafe of each Ipicula, vid. fig. 3. 
I have found this fpecies cffefted with the difeafe called Ergot , defcribed under the Flote Fefcue Grafs. 
