Phalaris angusta
Phalaris minor
narrow canarygrass, timothy Canary grass
lesser canarygrass, little-seed Canary grass, Mediterranean canarygrass, small Canary grass
10-170 cm.
10-100 cm, not swollen at the base.
2-20 cm long, 0.6-1.5 cm wide, cylindrical, discontinuous, sometimes lobed;
branches sometimes evident, spikelets borne singly, not clustered.
1-8 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, dense, ovoid-lanceoloid, truncate to rounded at the base, rounded apically.
homogamous, with 3 florets, terminal floret bisexual;
disarticulation above the glumes, beneath the sterile florets.
borne singly, not clustered.;
spikelets homogamous, with 2 florets, 1 bisexual;
disarticulation above the glumes, beneath the sterile florets.
2-6 mm long, 0.6-1.1 mm wide, rectangular, often purplish, keels winged, scabrous, wings about 0.4 mm wide, smooth, lateral veins conspicuous, scabrous, apices mucronate;
sterile florets 2, equal, 0.5-1.5 mm, linear, sparsely and inconspicuously hairy;
bisexual florets 2-3.8 mm long, 0.9-1.5 mm wide, laterally compressed, hairy, particularly distally, shiny, apices tapering;
anthers 0.5-1.3 mm.
3.5-6.5 mm long, 1.2-2 mm wide, keels winged distally, wings 0.3-0.5 mm wide, irregularly dentate or crenate, occasionally entire, varying within a panicle, lateral veins conspicuous, smooth;
sterile florets 1, 0.7-1.8 mm, linear, glabrous or almost so;
bisexual florets 2-4 mm long, 1-1.8 mm wide, hairy, dull yellow when immature, becoming shiny gray-brown at maturity, acute to somewhat acuminate;
anthers 1-2 mm.
4-7 mm, truncate to rounded or obtuse, lacerate;
blades 3-15 cm long, 2-12 mm wide.
5-12 mm, truncate to rounded, often lacerate;
blades 3-15 cm long, 2-10 mm wide, smooth, shiny.
= 14.
= 28, 29.
Phalaris angusta
Phalaris minor
Phalaris angusta grows in the contiguous United States, primarily in the south. In South America, it is most abundant in a band from Chile to Argentina; it also grows in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Thellung (1911) considered it to be a South American species that is adventive in North America. Throughout its distribution, it tends to grow in open grasslands and prairies.
Baldini (1995) suggested that Phalaris angusta, P. lemmonii, and P. caroliniana are involved in reciprocal hybridization and introgression, particularly in California.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Phalaris minor is native around the Mediterranean and in northwestern Asia, but is now found throughout the world. Even where it is native, it usually grows in disturbed ground, often around harbors and near refuse dumps. Although it has been found at numerous locations in the Flora region, it is only established in the southern portion of the region.
The compact panicle with its truncate to rounded base, and the rather variable edges of the glume wings, usually distinguish Phalaris minor from other species in the genus. It sometimes forms a polyploid hybrid with P. aquatica, P. xdaviesii S.T. Blake, which is cultivated for forage in Australia, Africa, and South America.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
LA Plants, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
