Phalaris minor

Retz.
Common names: Lesser canarygrass
Introduced
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 24.

Plants annual. Culms 10-100 cm, not swollen at the base. Ligules 5-12 mm, truncate to rounded, often lacerate; blades 3-15 cm long, 2-10 mm wide, smooth, shiny. Panicles 1-8 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, dense, ovoid-lanceoloid, truncate to rounded at the base, rounded apically. spikelets borne singly, not clustered. Spikelets homogamous, with 2 florets, 1 bisexual; disarticulation above the glumes, beneath the sterile florets. Glumes 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. 2n = 28, 29.

Distribution

Pa., N.J., Colo., N.Mex., Tex., La., Alaska, N.B., Ala., Oreg., Pacific Islands (Hawaii), S.C., Ariz., Fla., Calif.

Discussion

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.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Phalaris minor"
membranous +  and scarious +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Mary E. Barkworth +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
straight +
basal +  and terminal +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
not evident +
cross +, linear +  and narrowly lanceolate +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
spikelike +
hairy +  and glabrous +
Lesser canarygrass +
not branching +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (230 cm2,300 mm <br />2.3 m <br />) +
decumbent +  and erect +
not swollen +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
not woody +
Pa. +, N.J. +, Colo. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +, La. +, Alaska +, N.B. +, Ala. +, Oreg. +, Pacific Islands (Hawaii) +, S.C. +, Ariz. +, Fla. +  and Calif. +
1/4 +  and 1/3 +
liquid +, soft +  and hard +
capillary +
pistillate +  and staminate +
hairy +  and glabrous +
acute +  and acuminate or beaked +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
sometimes longer +
hairy +, almost +  and glabrous +
1 +  and 2 +
bisexual +  and sterile +
acuminate +  and acute to somewhat +
reduced +
0.7mm +  and 1.8mm +
1mm +  and 1.8mm +
3.5mm +  and 6.5mm +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
subequal +
1.2mm +  and 2mm +
uncinate +
ovoid +  and cylindrical +
distributed +
1-7(9)-veined +
0 +  and 3/4 +
lanceolate +  and linear +
lacerate +, truncate +  and rounded +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
inconspicuous +
lanceolate +
concealed +  and prominent +
2 +  and 1 +
well-developed +
2-keeled +
1cm +  and 8cm +
rounded +  and truncate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
Introduced +
pistillate +  and pedicellate +
single +, 10 +  and 200 +
bisexual +  and homogamous +
compressed +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
1 +  and 3 +
simple +  and compound +
2 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
plumose +
Gramineae +
Phalaris minor +
Phalaris +
species +
sterile +  and bisexual +
bisexual +  and sterile +
membranous +
parallel +  and converging +
hairy +  and glabrous +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
0.3mm +  and 0.5mm +