Phalaris canariensis
alpiste des canaries, annual canarygrass, Canary grass, common Canary grass, phalaris des canaries
30-100 cm.
1.5-5 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide, ovoid to oblong-ovoid, continuous, not lobed, truncate at the base;
branches not evident, spikelets borne singly, not clustered.
homogamous, with 3 florets, terminal floret bisexual;
disarticulation above the glumes, beneath the sterile florets.
7-10 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, smooth, mostly glabrous, sometimes sparsely pilose between the veins, keels winged, wings to 0.6 mm, widening distally, lateral veins inconspicuous, smooth, apices rounded to acute, sometimes mucronate;
sterile florets 2, equal or subequal, 2-4.5 mm, 1/3 or more the length of the bisexual florets, lanceolate, sparsely hairy, acute;
bisexual florets 4.5-6.8 mm, ovate, densely hairy, shiny, stramineous to gray-brown;
anthers 2-4 mm.
3-6 mm, rounded to obtuse, lacerate;
blades 3-25 cm long, 2-10 mm wide.
= 12.
Phalaris canariensis
Phalaris canariensis is native to southern Europe and the Canary Islands, but is now widespread in the rest of the world, frequently being grown for birdseed. The exposed ends of the glumes are almost semicircular in outline, making this one of our easier species of Phalaris to identify.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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