Poaceae
Grass Family
Phalaris arundinacea L.
- Stem: perennial; from underground stems; 3’ to 5’ tall; smooth.
- Leaves: sheath smooth; ligule 1/4” tall, thin; blade 6” to 8” by 1/2”, prominent auricles at the base, smooth.
- Inflorescence: branching flower stalks, contracted lobes on short stalks; 4” to 6” long; more widely spread during blooming.
- Spikelets: 5/32” long; one floret per spikelet; flowering from late May to mid-June.
- Fruits: 1/8” long; with two tiny, hairy branches at the base of the mature floret; fruiting begins in mid-June; fruits begin dropping from the glumes in late June.
- Habitat: frequent in wet, open areas such as stream banks and waterways; sometimes in wet, open woods and occasionally on prairies.
- Notes: Reed canary grass is sometimes used to stabilize grassed waterways and often escapes into wet roadside ditches and other open, wet places. Improved varieties are much more vigorous than the native form.
- Bibliography from Biodiversity Heritage Library
- Vascular Plants of Iowa
Can be found in these counties:
