48 
P H A L A R I S, 
hue; they grow upright, are (harp-pointed, roughifh 
about the edge, and have at thebafe a very thin pellucid 
membrane or ligule: the lower part of the upper leaf 
(wells out like a (pathe, completely involving and pro¬ 
tecting the head of flowers whilft young. This is (ingle, 
large, an inch or more in length, and has a fmall linear 
(lieathlefs leaf at the bafe of it. Valves of the calyx much 
larger than thofe of the corolla, with two green ribs on 
each tide ; within thefe are two other fmall white (kinny 
valves, not more than half the length of the inner valves 
of the corolla, the larger valve of which is hairy, the 
other only fo along its back. The neftary is two fle(hy 
concave pear-(haped fubftances on the outfide the bafe of 
the corolla. Seed marked with a blackilh-brown line at 
one edge, and having a little (hield at the bafe of the 
other; it continues covered with the corolla, one valve 
of which almoft wholly embraces the other. This cover 
varies much in colour, being milk-white, ftraw-coloured, 
a(h-coloured, livid, bay,cheftnut,and even black; but it 
is always very fmooth and (hining. 
Canary-grafs is a native of the Canary iflands; but is 
now found in a wild (late in Britain, Flanders, HefTe, Si- 
lefia, France, Italy, and Spain ; our circumnavigators alfo 
difcovered it in New Zealand. It is not mentioned as an 
indigenous plant with us by any of our old authors; not 
even in the third edition of Ray’s Synopfis (1724). It 
does not feem to be found in our idand, except about 
dunghills, or by road-fides, in places where it may have 
been thrown out among the rubbifh, or cafually dropped 
by birds. Dr. Withering mentions that it has been found 
by Mr. Ballard in New’s-wood, adjoining to Malvern, 
Worcefterfhire. Dr. Sibthorp obferved it behind the Ob- 
fervarory at Oxford ; and Dr. Milne near New Crofs, on 
the Maidftone road, by Deptford Creek, and in Charlton 
Wood. It flowers from June to Auguft ; and is cultiva¬ 
ted for the fake of the feeds, which are the bed; food for 
the canary and other fmall birds. 
2. Phalaris aquatica, or water Canary-grafs: panicle 
awnlefs, cylindrical; fpike-fhaped ; calycine glumes boat- 
(haped, fomewhat toothletted ; corolla three-valved, in¬ 
ner valves villofe, outer minute, awl-(haped. Root an¬ 
nual, according to Linnaeus ; perennial and bulbous, ac¬ 
cording to Desfontaines. Culm reedy. From the fwel- 
ling (heath of the upper leaf id'ues one fmooth thick 
fpike-fhaped panicle of an oblong-ovate form. The 
glumes are lanceolate, fmooth, keeled, and marked with 
a nerve on each dde, pretty much like thofe of the prece¬ 
ding. Retzius defcribes his Ph. minor as an annual 
grafs, refembling Ph. canariends, but fmaller, the panicle 
narrower, and not ventricofe. The feeds were fent him 
under the name of Ph. tuberofa, but the root has no tu¬ 
bers. Native of Egypt. Introduced in 1778 by Monf. 
Thouin. It flowers in June and July. 
3. Phalaris Capenfis, or Cape Canary-grafs: panicle 
fpiked, ovate ; glumes entire ; culm jointed, decumbent. 
This is an annual grafs, native of the Cape of Good 
Hope. 
4* Phalaris bulbofa, or bulbous Canary-grafs: panicle 
awnlefs, cylindrical, fpike-fhaped ; calycine glumes boat- 
(haped, toothed; corolla two-valved, fmooth ; root bul¬ 
bous. Culm a foot high, fwelling out at the bafe, com¬ 
monly into three round bulbs, one above another, the 
lower having filiform fibres at the bottom. Leaves for 
an inch and more having a ventricofe (heath, above which 
they grow upright, and are lanceolate and acute. Flowers 
in a clofe cylindrical fpike-like panicle ; each on a fhort 
pedicel. It differs from Ph. canarienfis in having a more 
(lender fpike, of a cylindric (liape. The feeds are only 
half the (ize, of a grey colour, and do not adhere to the 
glume. The feeds are gathered by the Moors, and fent 
Europe. Native of Spain, the Levant, and Barbary; in 
which latter country the roots are not bulbous: but that 
in grades does not make a fpecific diftinftion. 
Desfontaines has a grafs which he names Phalaris c«- 
rulefcens, and to which he refers the fynonym of Bux- 
baum (4. 30. t. S3.) attributed by Linneus to Ph. aqua¬ 
tica. It has a loafer fpike than Ph. bulbofa, and the 
glumes are bluifh. The culm is upright, naked above, 
and filiform ; the leaves fmooth ; the fpike branched, 
round, loofifh; outer and inner calyx two-glumed. It is 
found in the arable fields about Algiers. 
5. Phalaris nodofa, or knpbbed-rooted Canary-grafs: 
panicle oblong; leaves rigid, rugged at the edge; the 
uppermoft (lightly ventricofe. Spike compaft, ovate- 
oblong, awnlefs. Calyxes ovate-oblong. Native of the 
South of Europe. 
6. Phalaris dentata, or tooth-keeled Canary-grafs: 
fpike fubpanicled, cylindric; glumes ferrate ; culm joint¬ 
ed. This has the ftature of Ph. phleoides. Culms 
fmooth, with (liort leaves. It is a handfome grafs, and 
very diftinft at firff fight. In the Supplement, the glumes 
are faid to be hirfute ; but Retzius fays, that in his fpe- 
cimen they are fmooth and naked. Native of the Cape 
of Good Hope. 
7. Phalaris phleoides, or cat’s-tail Canary-grafs: pani¬ 
cle nearly cylindrical, (pike-form; glumes linear-lanceo¬ 
late, fmoothilh ; their inner margin abrupt; ftem fimple. 
Root fibrous, perennial, crowned with tufts of fpreading 
glaucous leaves which endure the whole winter. Culm 
fimple,gerierally folitary, mod: leafy below, round, fmooth, 
purple and (hining above, from ten to eighteen inches in 
height. Leaves (heathing, linear-lanceolate, rough at the 
edge, their (heaths fcarcely inflated, roughifh. Panicle 
folitary, ereft, denfe, exaftly like a fpike, but when bent 
on one fide it feparates into lobes or branches of feveral 
flowers each. Calyx nearly linear, fomewhat conftrifted 
near the top, purplilh; valves comprefled pointed, three- 
nerved, a little divaricated at the point, and furniflied 
with a white membranous margin, which at its fummit 
is in fome degree abrupt, approaching to the ftrufture of 
a Phleum; but it cannot be confidered as fuch, on ac¬ 
count of its drift affinity to Ph. arenaria; from which it 
differs however, in having a perennial root, a branched 
or panicled fpike, glumes lefs frequently and completely 
ciliate, and lanceolate (not abrupt or crenate) petals. 
Dr. Withering obferves, that the panicle is from near 
two inches to three inches and a half in length, thick as 
a goofe-quill; and Dr. Stokes, that a ftift'awn-like thread 
rifes from the bafe of the inner valve, one third of its 
length, analogous to that of Auindo arenaria. Linnaeus 
regards this grafs as intermediate between Phalaris, 
Phleum, and Alopecurus. Native of feveral parts of 
Europe and Siberia. In England (irft obferved by Mr. 
Lyons in Cambridgelhire; and afterwards by Mr. Hem- 
fted on Chippenham park wall, in the fame county. Mr. 
Crowe and Mr. Woodward found it on Swaffham-heatb, 
in Norfolk, in 1780. It flowers in June and July. 
8 . Phalaris arenaria, or fea Canary-grafs : panicle awn¬ 
lefs, cylindrical, fpike-form ; calycine glumes keeled, 
uite entire, ciliate; culm branched. Root annual, 
brous, downy. Stems feveral, dividing from the crown 
of the root, or a little higher, as in wheat, fometimes bent 
at the joints, clothed with leaves, the edge of which is a 
little rough ; their (heaths long, inflated, ftriated and 
fmooth. The culm commonly very little exceeds the up¬ 
permoft leaf,and is terminated by an upright rigid fpike, 
fwelling in the middle, confifting of a great number of 
ereft thick-fet flowers. Calyx green, with white keel- 
ribs and margin ; valves lanceolate, gradually taperingto 
a (harp point, and by no means lopped or truncated as 
in Phleum ; their keel, and fometimes their margin, is 
ciliated with white hairs. The corolla confifts of two 
(hort crenated ftriated petals. The ciliated valves diftin- 
guifh this grafs from the preceding. Native of feveral 
parts of Europe. In England common on fandy coaffs 
and the neighbouring fields; as at Yarmouth, by Mr. 
Woodward; in Wales, on Newborough fands, Anglefea, 
by Mr. Griffith; in Scotland, near Prefton Pans, by Mr. 
Dickfon ; more inland, on Swaffham-heath, by James 
Crowe, efq. and on Newmarket-heath, by the Rev. Mr. 
Hemfted. 
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