Phalaris lemmonii
Phalaris minor
Lemmon's Canary grass
lesser canarygrass, little-seed Canary grass, Mediterranean canarygrass, small Canary grass
(7)25-150 cm.
10-100 cm, not swollen at the base.
(2)3-20 cm long, 0.6-1.5 cm wide, cylindrical, evidently branched below;
branches to 2 cm, 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 (2)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.
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.
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.
1.5-8 mm, acute;
blades to 14 cm long, 1-8 mm wide, smooth, shiny, sometimes revolute.
5-12 mm, truncate to rounded, often lacerate;
blades 3-15 cm long, 2-10 mm wide, smooth, shiny.
= 14.
= 28, 29.
Phalaris lemmonii
Phalaris minor
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 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
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