Phalaris angusta Nees ex Trin., Poaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: narrow Canary grass, timothy canary grass

Habit:  grass

Description:  "Annual; caespitose. Culms 70-150 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10-20 cm long; 6-10 mm wide. Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle spiciform; linear; 2.5-17 cm long; 0.6-1.5 cm wide. Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile. Fertile spikelets: Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 2.9-5.5 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret. Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 2.9-5.5 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1-keeled; winged on keel; winged narrowly; winged above; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scabrous. Lower glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 2.9-5.5 mm long; 1.3-1.5 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled; winged on keel; winged above; 3-5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scabrous. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex truncate, or obtuse. Florets:  Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret linear; 0.7-1.5 mm long; 0.33 length of fertile lemma; glabrous. Fertile lemma elliptic; laterally compressed; 2.2-3.8 mm long; cartilaginous; shiny; keeled; 5 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy all along. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous; 2 -veined; without keels. Palea surface pubescent; hairy on back. Flower: Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous. Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.4-1.6 mm long. Hilum linear"  (GrassBase).

Habitat/ecology:  In Australia, "grows in areas susceptible to flooding"  (NSW PlantNET).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 556)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2011)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2011)
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Ecuador (Mainland) Ecuador	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (Oregon)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Additional online information about Phalaris angusta is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Phalaris angusta as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Phalaris angusta may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John. 2011. Naturalized species in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile. Unpublished spreadsheet.

Clayton, W.D./Harman, K.T./Williamson, H. 2011. World Grass Species: Descriptions, Identification, and Information Retrieval [GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora]. The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido. 2006. Nouveau catalogue de la flore vaculaire de l'archipel Juan Fernández (Chile) [Nuevo catálogo de la flora vacular del Archipélago Juan Fernández (Chile)]. Acta Bot. Gallica 153(4):399-587.

National Herbarium of New South Wales. 2011. PlantNet: New South Wales Flora online. The Plant Information Network System of the Botanic Gardens Trust Version 2.0. Online resource.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.