Paradoxical Canary-grass

Scientific Name:

Phalaris paradoxa

Status:

Native to the Mediterranean and western Europe but widely naturalised.

Plant Description:

Tufted annual grass to 90 cm high with hairless but slightly rough leaves to 15 cm long and 9 mm wide. The flower-heads are dense, cylindrical, spike-like panicles from 3-10 mm long. Spikelets are 5-8 mm long with 3-nerved, long-pointed glumes with wings on the central nerve (or keel) with sharp points. Each spikelet has 3 flowers but the lower two are sterile and often minute or reduced to swellings.

Habitat:

Widespread across northern Victoria in irrigation ditches and on seasonally wet areas.

Region	Salinity Class	Waterlogging Class
Mallee, Loddon Murray, Central and Northern, Wimmera	S0, *S1	W0, W1, W2

Comments:

Similar to other Canary-grasses, including Phalaris (Phalaris aquatica) and Lesser Canary-grass (P. minor), from which it is largely distinguished by the nature of its winged glumes.

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