GRASS fa:^iily 



121 



2. Phalaris californica Hook. & Arn. 

 California Canary-grass. Fig. 253. 



Phalaris califoniica Hook. & Arn. Bot. Beechey Voy. 161. 1841. 

 Phalaris aincthystiiia of Thurber and others, not Trin. 



Perennial ; culms erect or somewhat geniculate at base ; 

 blades flat, rather lax, 6-12 mm. wide ; panicle ovoid or 

 oblong, 2-5 cm. long, 2-2.5 cm. thick, often purplish-tinged ; 

 glumes about 6-7 mm. long, narrow, gradually narrowed 

 from below the middle to an acute apex, smooth or slightly 

 scabrous on the keel, the lateral nerves somewhat nearer 

 the margin than the keel ; fertile lemma ovate-lanceolate, 

 about 4 mm. long, rather sparsely villous, often exposing 

 the palea, the sterile lemmas about half as long. 



Ravines and open moist ground in the Transition Zone; in the 

 Coast Ranges, Oregon to San Luis Obispo County, California. June. 

 Type locality: west central California. 



3. Phalaris arundinacea L. 

 Reed Canary-grass. Fig. 254. 



Phalaris arundinacea L. Sp. PI. 55. 1753. 



Perennial with creeping rhizotnes ; culms erect, 60- 

 150 cm. tall; panicle 7-16 cm. long, narrow, the 

 branches spreading during anthesis, the lower as much 

 as 5 cm. long; glumes narrow, 4 mm. long, abruptly 

 narrowed to an acute apex, the keel scabrous, not 

 winged, the lateral nerves about midway between 

 margin and keel ; fertile lemma lanceolate, 3 mm. long, 

 shining, sparsely villous ; sterile lemmas villous, 1 mm. 

 long. 



Swamps and moist places. Transition Zone; infrequent in 

 California (Agar, Warner Mountains, Bouldin); common in 

 eastern Washington and eastward through the northern part of 

 North America; also in northern Eurasia. June-Sept. A form 

 with variegated leaves is cultivated under the name of ribbon- 

 grass. T> pe locality, Eurojiean. 



4. Phalaris minor Retz. 

 Mediterranean Canary-grass. Fig. 255. 



Phalaris minor Retz. Obs. Bot. 3: S. 1783. 



Annual ; culms erect, 30-100 cm. tall ; 

 panicle ovate-oblong to oblong, 2-5 cm. long ; 

 glumes oblong, 4-6 mm. long, strongly winged 

 on the keel as in P. canaricnsis, the green 

 stripe less conspicuous, the wing scabrous on 

 margin and more or less toothed : fertile 

 lemma ovate, acute, villous but less so than 

 P. canariensis, about 3 mm. long, the sterile 

 lemma solitary, about 1 mm. long. 



Introduced along the coast of California and at 

 Linnton, Oregon (Nelson). A native of the Mediter- 

 ranean region. August. Type locality, European. 



