Phalaris minor

5. Phalaris minor Retz. (syn.: P. gracilis Parl.) (Medit.) – A rather rare but possibly under-recorded, ephemeral alien. Already known as an alien in Belgium (surroundings of Tournai) in the first half of the 19th century (Verloove 2006). Early records were primarily associated with imported wool, while Phalaris minor at present chiefly is introduced with cereals. As such, it is usually found now in port areas: near unloading quays and granaries, on grain dumps or by railway tracks.

At a glance Phalaris minor mostly looks like P. canariensis but its glumes are slightly erose and its sterile florets are markedly unequal. It definitely is rare but nonetheless probably confused with Phalaris canariensis.

Herbarium specimen

Phalaris minor, spikelet & lemma

Phalaris minor, Port of Antwerpen, Samga at Amerikadok, unloading quay for cereals, June 2011, F. Verloove

 


Selected literature:

Lambinon J. (1957) Contribution à l’étude de la flore adventice de la Belgique. I. Adventices rares ou nouvelles pour la Belgique. Bull. Soc. Roy. Bot. Belg. 89: 85-100.

Verloove F. (2006) Catalogue of neophytes in Belgium. Scripta Botanica Belgica 39: 89 p.

Verloove F. & Vandenberghe C. (1995) Nieuwe en interessante voederadventieven voor de Belgische en Noordfranse flora, hoofdzakelijk in 1994. Dumortiera 61-62: 23-45.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith