Flora of New Zealand Series

phalaris

Strong perennial clumps, 60-200 cm, from short, knotted rhizome, shoots slightly swollen and ± tuberous at base. Leaf-sheath firm, glabrous, striate, light brown or brownish green. Ligule 4-9 mm, rounded. Leaf-blade 15-60 cm × 5-11 mm, very minutely scabrid, adaxially becoming smooth; margins slightly thickened, minutely scabrid, tapered to long, fine, acuminate tip. Culm 55-180 cm. Panicle (2.5)-3.5-12-(20) × 0.8-2.5-(3) cm, cylindric, oblong or slightly tapered at upper or both ends, occasionally lobed; rachis smooth, branches very sparsely scabrid, hidden. Spikelets 4.5-6.5 mm, light green. Glumes ± equal, 3-nerved, elliptic-lanceolate with deeper green ciliolate wing in upper ½, glabrous, evenly curved towards subacute tip. Ø florets: lemmas unequal, lower 0.5-1 mm, upper 1.2-1.7 mm, lanceolate, acute, sparsely hairy. ⚥ floret: lemma 3-3.7 mm, ovate, subacute, with ± sparse, short, fine, silky hairs; palea narrower than lemma; anthers (2.2)-3-4 mm; caryopsis 2.2-2.6 × 1-1.3 mm.

N.: North and South Auckland, elsewhere scattered; S.: east of Main Divide. Waste ground, roadsides especially on drain margins, and coastal hillsides.

Naturalised from Mediterranean.

Known for many years as P. tuberosa L., a later synonym.