Phalaris paradoxa
Phalaris arundinacea
awn Canary-grass, hood Canary grass, hooded canarygrass, Mediterranean Canary grass
alpiste roseau, phalaris roseau, reed Canary grass, roseau
20-100 cm, not swollen at the base.
40-230 cm.
3-9 cm long, about 2 cm wide, dense, obovoid to clavate, tapering at the base, rounded to truncate at the top;
branches with groups of 5-6 usually staminate, rarely sterile spikelets clustered around a terminal pistillate or bisexual spikelet;
pedicels hispid;
disarticulation beneath the spikelet clusters.
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.
heterogamous, with 3 florets, lower 2 florets sterile and highly reduced, terminal floret usually staminate, pistillate, or bisexual, rarely sterile.
homogamous, with 3 florets, terminal floret bisexual;
disarticulation above the glumes, beneath the sterile florets.
of staminate or sterile spikelets varying, those at the base of the panicle reduced to knobs of tissue terminating the pedicels, those higher up often clavate, those near the top of the panicle similar to the glumes of the sexual spikelets but somewhat narrower;
glumes of pistillate or bisexual spikelets 4-8 mm long, about 1 mm wide, keeled, keels winged, wings 0.2-0.4 mm wide, terminating below the apices and forming a single, prominent tooth, lateral veins conspicuous, apices acuminate to awned, awns about 0.5 mm;
sterile florets of all spikelets 0.2-0.4 mm, knoblike projections on the calluses of the terminal florets often with 1-2 hairs;
terminal florets of all spikelets 2.5-3.5 mm long, 0.8-1.5 mm wide, indurate, shiny, glabrous or with a few short hairs near the tip;
anthers 1.5-2.5 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.
3-5 mm, truncate to acute;
blades 5-10(15) cm long, 2-5 mm wide.
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 paradoxa
Phalaris arundinacea
Phalaris paradoxa is native to the Mediterranean region; it is now found throughout the world, primarily in harbor areas and near old ballast dumps. It is an established weed in parts of Arizona and California. Within an inflorescence, the most reduced sterile spikelets are located near the base, and the most nearly normal spikelets are near the top.
(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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