Search Field Guide
Advanced Search
MT Gov Logo
Montana Field Guide

Montana Field Guides

Mountain Foxtail - Alopecurus magellanicus
Other Names:  Alpine Foxtail, Boreal Foxtail, Alopecurus borealis, Alopecurus alpinus [misapplied]

No photos are currently available
If you have a high quality photo of this species, are confident in the identification, and would like to submit it for inclusion on the Montana Field Guide, please send it to us using our online photo submission tool.


Image Copyright and Usage Information
Native Species

Global Rank: G5
State Rank: S4
C-value: 6


Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:


 

External Links

 
General Description
Rhizomatous perennial. Stems few-bunched, 20–100 cm. Leaves: blades 2–6 mm broad. Inflorescence a dense ovoid panicle 1.5–4 cm long, >1 cm in diameter. Spikelets 3–4 mm long; glumes silky over entire surface. Lemmas with an awn extending 2.5–3 mm beyond lemma tip, emanating from the middle (Lavin in Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).

Range Comments
Greenland to Alaska, south to CO and UT; Arctic regions and northern Eurasia.

Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 106

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version) Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density

Recency

 

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)



Habitat
Moist montane to subalpine meadows and in hot spring areas (Lavin in Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).


References
  • Literature Cited AboveLegend:   View Online Publication
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 771 p.
  • Additional ReferencesLegend:   View Online Publication
    Do you know of a citation we're missing?
    • Cope, M.G. 1992. Distribution, habitat selection and survival of transplanted Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) in the Tobacco Valley, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, Montana: Montana State University. 60 p.
    • Culver, D.R. 1994. Floristic analysis of the Centennial Region, Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Montana State University, Bozeman. 199 pp.
    • Johnson, T. W. 1982. An analysis of pack and saddle stock grazing areas in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. M.Sc.Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 105 p.
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants, Second Edition. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 779 p.
    • Pallister, G.L. 1974. The seasonal distribution and range use of bighorn sheep in the Beartooth Mountains, with special reference to the West Rosebud and Stillwater herds. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 67 p.
  • Web Search Engines for Articles on "Mountain Foxtail"
Login Logout

Take us with you! PDF icon

Look for this PDF icon as you search and browse.  Click it to build a custom PDF with species shown on that page or for all the species within that taxonomic level.  To create your own list of species, use the PDF Creator tool at the bottom of the Advanced Search page.

Here's some links if you want to download a whole group.

Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Amphibians
Fish
Invertebrates
Butterflies / Moths
Dragonflies / Damselflies
Ferns and allies
Conifers
Flowering Plants (Dicots)
Flowering Plants (Monocots)
Bryophytes
Lichens
Ecological Systems
Noxious Weeds
Citation for data on this website:
Mountain Foxtail — Alopecurus magellanicus.  Montana Field Guide.  .  Retrieved on , from