Phalaris lemmonii
Phalaris arundinacea
Lemmon's Canary grass
alpiste roseau, phalaris roseau, reed Canary grass, roseau
(7)25-150 cm.
40-230 cm.
(2)3-20 cm long, 0.6-1.5 cm wide, cylindrical, evidently branched below;
branches to 2 cm, spikelets borne singly, not clustered.
5-40 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, elongate, often dense, always evidently branched, at least near the base;
branches to 5 cm, normally appressed but spreading during anthesis, spikelets borne singly, not clustered.
homogamous, with (2)3 florets, terminal floret bisexual;
disarticulation above the glumes, beneath the sterile florets.
homogamous, with 3 florets, terminal floret bisexual;
disarticulation above the glumes, beneath the sterile florets.
4.5-6.7 mm long, 0.9-1.1 mm wide, acuminate, keels not or only slightly winged, wings to 0.2 mm wide, keels, lateral veins, and adjacent surfaces scabrous;
sterile florets (1)2, 1-1.6 mm, densely appressed-hairy;
bisexual florets 2.7-5.1 mm long, 1.2-1.6 mm wide, shiny, stramineous to gray-brown, mostly hairy with spreading hairs, apices glabrous, strongly acuminate to beaked;
anthers 0.7-2 mm.
subequal, 4-8.1 mm long, 0.8-1 mm wide, keels smoothly curved, usually scabrous, not or narrowly winged distally, wings to 0.2 mm wide, lateral veins conspicuous, apices acute;
sterile florets 2, subequal to equal, 1.5-2 mm, less than 1/2 as long as the bisexual florets, hairy;
bisexual florets 2.5-4.2 mm, apices acute to somewhat acuminate;
lemmas glabrate proximally, hairy distally and on the margins, dull yellow when immature, shiny gray-brown to brown at maturity, apices acute;
anthers 2.5-3 mm.
1.5-8 mm, acute;
blades to 14 cm long, 1-8 mm wide, smooth, shiny, sometimes revolute.
4-10 (11) mm, truncate, lacerate;
blades usually 10-30 cm long, 5-20 mm wide, flag leaf blades 4-15 cm, surfaces scabrous, margins serrate.
= 14.
= 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 35.
Phalaris lemmonii
Phalaris arundinacea
Phalaris lemmonii is native to California, but it has also been found in Victoria, Australia. It grows in moist areas, and appears to hybridize with both P. caroliniana and P. angusta (Baldini 1995). The strongly beaked tips of the bisexual florets are a useful distinguishing feature.
Beecher Crampton noted on one unusually small specimen (UTC 230918) that it was the vernal pool ecotype of the species. He did not publish his observations.
Anderson (1961) and Baldini (1995) distinguished Phalaris lemmonii from P. platensis Henrard ex Wacht., a narrowly distributed South American taxon, arguing that it was slightly longer in the length of its ligules, glumes, florets, and anthers, but many California specimens fall within the range given for P. platensis rather than that for P. lemmonii. Phalaris lemmonii is the older name so, if further research shows that the two species should be combined, P. lemmonii will remain as the correct name for plants from the Flora region.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Phalaris arundinacea is a circumboreal species, native to north-temperate regions; it occurs, as an introduction, in the Southern Hemisphere. It grows in wet areas such as the edges of lakes, ponds, ditches, and creeks, often forming dense stands; in some areas it is a problematic weed. North American populations may be a mix of native strains, European strains, and agronomic cultivars (Merigliano and Lesica 1998).
The interpretation adopted here is that of Baldini (1995), who treated Phalaris arundinacea sensu stricto as the most widespread species in a complex of three species. The other two species are P. rotgesii (Husn.) Baldini, a diploid that is restricted to France and Italy, and P. caesia Nees, a hexaploid that grows in southern Europe, western Asia, and eastern to southern Africa. Phalaris rotgesii has glumes 2-3.8 mm long, sterile florets 1-1.5 mm long, bisexual florets 2-3 mm long, and anthers about 2 mm long. The corresponding measurements for P. caesia are 6-7 mm, about 2.5 mm, 4-5 mm, and 3.5-4 mm, respectively. Other taxonomists have included P. rotgesii and P. caesia in P. arundinacea. Only P. arundinacea sensu stricto has been found in North America.
A sterile form of Phalaris arundinacea with striped leaves—P. arundinacea var. picta L., also referred to as P. arundinacea forma variegata (Parn.) Druce—is known as 'Ribbon Grass' or 'Gardener's Gaiters', and is sometimes grown as an ornamental. Baldini (1995) noted that it sometimes appears to escape, and is never found far from a cultivated stand.
Phalaris arundinacea hybridizes with other species of Phalaris. One hybrid, P. xmonspeliensis Daveau [= P. arundinacea x P. aquatica] is grown for forage.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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