Southern Wetland Flora
Field Office Guide to Plant Species
Phalaris caroliniana Walter
- Family: Grass (Poaceae)
- Flowering: May-June
- Field Marks: This canary grass is recognized by its long-cylindrical spikes at least 2 1/2 inches long and the glumes about 1/4 inch long.
- Habitat: Moist ditches, roadsides, floodplains, stream banks, old fields, disturbed areas.
- Habit: Tufted annual grass with fibrous roots.
- Stems: Upright, smooth, up to 3 feet tall.
- Leaves: Elongated, up to 8 inches long, up to 1/2 inch wide, smooth on both surfaces but slightly rough on the lower surface; ligules 1/4 inch long.
- Flowers: Borne in spikelets, with many spikelets crowded into a spike; spike ellipsoid, at least 2 1/2 inches long, up to 3/4 inch wide.
- Spikelets: 1-flowered, but with 2 sterile lemmas; glumes about 1/4 inch long.
- Sepals: 0.
- Petals: 0.
- Stamens: 3.
- Pistils: Ovary superior.
- Grains: Oblong, reddish, about 1/10 inch long.
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Next Species -- Savannah Panic Grass (Phanopyrum gymnocarpon)
