GrassWildAnnual

Phalaris minor Retz.

Dumbi Sitti

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Description

Phalaris minor is an annual winter grass, usually 30–100 cm tall, with an erect growth habit. Culms are hollow, cylindrical, smooth, and arise from a fibrous root system. The plant forms loose to dense tufts. Leaves are linear, flat, and soft, usually 10–30 cm long and 3–10 mm wide. Leaf blades are smooth, green, and slightly rough near the margins. Leaf sheaths are smooth and open, while the ligule is membranous and conspicuous. The inflorescence is a dense cylindrical to ovoid panicle (spike-like panicle), usually 3–10 cm long, compact and greenish. Spikelets are arranged densely along the branches. Each spikelet contains one fertile floret with two sterile florets. The glumes are keeled and often have wing-like margins. The fruit is a small caryopsis, enclosed within persistent lemma and palea.

Diagnostic Characters

Vegetative

Annual winter grass. Smooth erect culms. Long narrow leaves.

Floral

Compact spike-like panicle. Winged glumes. Dense green flowering head. Agricultural Characters Major wheat-field weed.

Distribution

Native range: Native to Mediterranean region, Western Asia.

In Pakistan: Widely distributed in Pakistan, India, Middle East, Europe. Common in Wheat-growing regions of Pakistan.

Phenology

Flowering

Fruiting

Flowering: February–April Fruiting: Spring

Ethnobotany & Uses

Agricultural Importance

A major weed of wheat because it Competes for nutrients, Reduces crop yield, Interferes with harvesting.

Fodder Importance

Young plants can provide Grazing material, Seasonal forage.

Ecological Importance

Pioneer species in disturbed habitats.

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Where it grows on campus

This species is on the campus floristic list but was not pinned during the GPS mapping survey, so it has no map records yet.

Taxonomic Notes

Phalaris belongs to tribe Aveneae.