Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Phalaris L.

Phalaris californica Hook. & Arn.

This species is accepted, and its native range is Oregon to California.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Rhizomes absent. Culms erect; 75-150 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10-30 cm long; 8-15 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle spiciform; oblong, or ovate; 1.5-5 cm long; 1-3 cm wide. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 5-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; laterally compressed; compressed strongly; 5-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; similar; exceeding apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 5-8 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; chartaceous; 1-keeled; wingless, or winged on keel; winged narrowly; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 5-8 mm long; 1.4-1.6 length of adjacent fertile lemma; chartaceous; 1-keeled; wingless, or winged on keel; 3-5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein scaberulous. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets similar; barren; without significant palea; attached to and deciduous with the fertile. Lemma of lower sterile floret linear; 1.8-3.3 mm long; 0.5-0.7 length of fertile lemma; pubescent. Fertile lemma elliptic; laterally compressed; 3.5-5 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.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; membranous. Anthers 3. Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2.4-2.6 mm long. Hilum linear.
Distribution
North America: northwest USA and southwest .
Reference
Aveneae. Anderson.

Native to:

California, Oregon

Phalaris californica Hook. & Arn. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Apr 2, 1992 s.coll. [754] K000838168 Yes
Apr 2, 1992 Harweg, K.T. [s.n.], California K000838169 Yes
Beechey, F.W. [s.n.] K000838167 lectotype Yes

First published in Bot. Beechey Voy.: 161 (1833)

Accepted by

  • Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2007). Flora of North America North of Mexico 24: 1-908. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

Literature

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2007). Flora of North America North of Mexico 24: 1-908. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0