Alopecurus Geniculatus. Jointed Fox-Tail 
Grass. 
ALOPECURUS Lin. Gen. PL Triandria Digynia. 
Cal. 2-valvis. Cor. i-valvis. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 27. Herbie graminifoli.-e flore imperfecto culmifer^. 
ALOPECURUS geniculatus culmo fpicato infrafto, corollis muticis, Lin. Syfl. Vegetal, p. 03. 
Sp. PL 89. FI. Suec. n. 60. Haller, hijl. n. 15 41. 
ALOPECURUS geniculatus culmo adfcendente, fpica cylindrica, glumis apice divergentibus 
pilofis. Hudfon FI. Angi. ed. 2. p. 27. 
ALOPECURUS geniculatus Scopol. Fl. Carn. n. 82. 
GRAMEN aquaticum geniculatum fpicatum. Bauk. pin. 3. Scheuchz. Agrojl. 72. 
GRAMEN fluviatile fpicatum. Ger. emac. 14. 
GRAMEN aquaticum fpicatum. Parkinf. 1373: Raii Syn. qq 6. Spiked Flote Grafs. Lkhtfoot, 
Fl. Scot. p. 9 2. Oeder FL Dan. ,564. 
RADIX perennis, fibrofa, fibris albicantibus, et quan- 
doque fubfufcis. 
CULMI plures, pedales, fefquipedales et ultra, in- 
ferne procumbentes, et fiepe tepentes, fub- 
ere£ti, geniculati, infra&i, ramofi, fuperne 
nudi, itriati, pnefertim in folo arido plus 
minus bulbofo. 
FOLIA duo aut tres lineas lata, ftriata, fuperne di- 
gitis deorfum du6lis afpera, inferne laevia, 
fuperiora brevia, uncialia aut biuncialia, 
patentia, faepe ad margines crifpa ; mem- 
brana ad bafin folii ovata, acuta ; vagince 
laeves, ftriatae, ventricofe. 
SPICAl unciales, fefquiunciales et ultra, fubcylin- 
dracete, forma et colore maxime variantes, 
nunc obtufae nunc ad apicem fenfim atte- 
nuatae, virefcentes, purpurafcentes, aut etiam 
nigricantes procul faltem vifse. 
FLOSCULI imbricati. 
CALYX : Gluma uniflora, bivalvis, comprefla, val- 
vulis oblique truncatis, pubefcentibus, tri- 
nerviis, carina ciliata, Jzg-. 1. 
COROLLA : Gluma univalvis, oblonga, ovata, 
truncata, quinquenervis, pellucida, nuda, 
ariftata, Jig. 2. Arijla juxta bafin exferta 
corolla duplo longiore, Jig. 3. 
STAMINA: Filamenta tria, corolla longiora; 
Antheras oblongae, primum purpures, 
demum ferrugines, Jig. 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germen fubrotundum ; Styli duo, 
cirrhofi, albidi, extra calycem protenfi, Jig. 5. 
ROOT perennial, fibrous, the fibres whidfh, fome- 
times inclined to brown. 
STALKS feveral, a foot, a foot and a half or more 
in length, below procumbent, and often 
creeping, nearly upright, jointed, crooked, 
above naked and flriated, branched, the bafe 
efpecially in a dry foil more or lefs bulbous. 
LEAVES two or three lines broad, flriated, the up- 
per fide if drawn backwards betwixt the 
fingers rough, the under fide fmooth, the 
uppermoft leaves fliort, an inch or two inches 
long, fpreading, often crimpt at the edges ; 
the membrane at the bafe of the leaf, ovate 
and pointed, the Jheaths fmooth, flriated, 
and bellying out. 
SPIKE an inch, an inch and a half or more in length, 
fomewhat cylindrical, varying greatly both 
in form and colour, fometimes blunt, and 
fometimes tapering to a point, greenifh, 
purplilh, and even blackilh, at leaft when 
viewed at a diftance. 
FLORETS imbricated. 
CALYX : a Glume of two valves, containing one 
flower, flattened, the valves obliquely trun- 
cated, downy, three-ribb’d, the keel ciliated, 
fig- 
COROLLA: a Glume of one valve, oblong, ovate, 
truncated, five-rib’d, pellucid, without hairs, 
and bearded, Jig. 2. the Beard or awn pro- 
ceeding from near the bafe, and twice the 
length of the corolla, jig. 3. 
STAMINA: three Filaments, longer than the co- 
rolla ; Antheras oblong, at firft purple, 
afterwards ferruginous, Jig. 4. 
PISTILLUM: Germen roundifh; Styles two, 
(lender, feathery, and extended beyond the 
calyx. Jig. 5. 
It is in the deprefled parts of meadows, where water is occafionally apt to ftagnate, that this fpecies of 
Fox-Tail Grafs particularly delights to grow, nor is it unfrequent on the edges of ponds, fl reams, and wet 
ditches, where it often makes its way into the water ; it is alfo, though more rarely, found in dry paftures ; 
and, according to thefe feveral fituations, it is found to vary. 
In the firft, the ftalks are procumbent at the bafe, fpread themfelves on the ground, and extend a foot or 
more in length ; before they rife upwards, the fpikes often affume a blackilh or deep purple colour, which 
caufes it to be noticed by the Farmer, who diftinguilhes it by the name of Black Grafs*. In the fecond, it is 
very much enlarged in its fize, and approaches near to th z Alopecurus pratenjis ; but the ftalk Hill retains 
towards the bottom its crooked appearance. In the third, it grows more upright, the fpike becomes much 
flenderer, and the bafe of the ftalk often fwells out into a kind of bulb, as in the Avena elatior, and this variety 
has been called Alopecurus bulbofus; in all thefe feveral varieties, the geniculatus cannot eafily be miltaken for 
any other fpecies of Alopecurus. 
It flowers in June. 
Cattle eat it readily, neverthelefs it cannot be recommended as a profitable Grafs ; nor do the more 
obferving Farmers confider it as fuch : indeed, where fuch Grafs is apt to abound, the belt praGice would be 
to fill up the depreflions, and fow the ground with better Grafles. 
The Farmer alfo diftinguilhes the Alopecurus agreflis ( myo/uroides , Fl. Lond.) by the name of Black Grafs. 
