Phalaris paradoxa
Phalaris minor
awn Canary-grass, hood Canary grass, hooded canarygrass, Mediterranean Canary grass
lesser canarygrass, little-seed Canary grass, Mediterranean canarygrass, small Canary grass
20-100 cm, not swollen at the base.
10-100 cm, not swollen at the base.
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.
1-8 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, dense, ovoid-lanceoloid, truncate to rounded at the base, rounded apically.
heterogamous, with 3 florets, lower 2 florets sterile and highly reduced, terminal floret usually staminate, pistillate, or bisexual, rarely sterile.
borne singly, not clustered.;
spikelets homogamous, with 2 florets, 1 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.
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.
3-5 mm, truncate to acute;
blades 5-10(15) cm long, 2-5 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 paradoxa
Phalaris minor
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 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.)
WA
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