This species with a broadly Mediterranean distribution is present in all regions of Italy except in the Valle d'Aosta (as a weed also in Trentino-Alto Adige, not rediscovered in recent times in Liguria), but is more common in Central and Southern Italy. It grows in wet meadows and in riparian marshes, below the lower montane belt. In the temporary ponds of Sardinia it is sporadic, being known only from Campeda and Alà dei Sardi. The genus name is derived from two Greek words, 'alopes' (fox) and 'ura' (tail), because of the shape of the inflorescence of some species; the species is dedicated to the Canadian botanist Alfred Barton Rendle (1865-1938). Flowering period: April to June.

Italian name(s): Alopecuro di Rendle (Italia), Coda di topo di Rendle (Italia).