PHALARIS

Phalaris L., Sp. Pl. 1: 54. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5: 29. 1754; Boiss., Fl. Or. 5: 471. 1884; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 7: 220. 1897; Bor, Grasses Burma, Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 615. 1960; Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 39. 1989; Wu & Phillips, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 335; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 491.

Annuals or perennials. Leaf blades linear, flat; ligule membranous. Inflorescence a contracted or spiciform panicle. Spikelets usually all alike (rarely in clusters of 6 or 7, only 1 of which is fertile), bisexual, 3-flowered, the lower 2 florets reduced. Rachilla disarticulating above the glumes at maturity and usually not extended beyond the fertile floret. Glumes subequal, persistent, boat-shaped, as long as the spikelet and enclosing the florets, boat-shaped, herbaceous, prominently 3-nerved, strongly keeled and often winged along midnerve. Lemmas of reduced florets up to half as long as fertile lemma, narrow, often hairy or one or both reduced to a vestigial fleshy scale at the base of fertile floret. Fertile floret: Bisexual, laterally compressed; its lemma shorter than the glumes, leathery, often becoming cartilaginous and shiny, rounded on back, 3-5-nerved, awnless. Palea resembling lemma, 2-nerved. Stamens 3. Caryopsis tightly enclosed by lemma and palea.

17 species

Phalaris minor

Phalaris minor Retz., Observ. Bot. 3: 8. 1783; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 7: 221. 1897; Bor, Grasses Burma, Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 616. 1960; Sharma & Kachroo, Fl. Jammu 1: 359. 1981; Dhaliwal & Sharma, Fl. Kullu Dist. 691. 1999; Kaur &; Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 684. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 807. 2006; Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 39. 1989; Wu & Phillips, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 336; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 494.

Annual. Culms 20-100 cm long, tufted, erect or geniculately ascending, simple or branched. Nodes glabrous. Leaf blades 10-25 cm x 1-1.5 cm, linear, flat, flaccid, acuminate, margin scaberulous; leaf sheaths subcompressed, tight, glabrous; ligule oblong, membranous, truncate, eciliate, 4-6 mm long. Inflorescence a cylindrical, spiciform, dense, ovate to oblong panicle, 1-6 cm long and 1-2 cm wide. Spikelets all alike, solitary, pedicelled, 4.5-6 mm long, ellipsoid, laterally compressed strongly, acute, shining, 3-flowered, the lower 2 reduced and uppermost fertile, bisexual; rachilla not extending beyond florets, disarticulating above the glumes below each floret at maturity. Glumes persistent, subequal, similar, exceeding florets, 4.5-6 mm long, 3-nerved, boat-shaped, acute, keel winged in upper part, wing usually erose-denticulate. Lower 2 florets: Barren, sterile; the lemmas (lower lemmas) 1.2-1.8 mm long. Upper Floret: Fertile, bisexual; its lemma (upper lemma) of 2.5-3.5 mm long, ovate, acute, 5-nerved, pubescent, ciliate in upper half, grey-brown, cartilaginous and shiny on maturity. Palea (upper palea) 2-2.4 mm long, narrow, lanceolate, 2-keeled. Stamens 3; anthers 1.5-1.8 m long. Caryopsis ca. 2.5 mm long.

Flowering and Fruiting: February to April
Common Names: Lesser Canary Grass, Little seed Canary Grass, Small Canary Grass; Guli- Danda (Punjabi)