Species Detail Grasses

Plant - Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium, Usage Rights: Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC)		Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants Phalaris caroliniana - Carolina canarygrass Other Common Names: maygrass Plant Form: Grass Family: Poaceae


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Seedheads USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Hitchcock, A.S. (rev. A. Chase). 1950. Manual of the grasses of the United States. USDA Miscellaneous Publication No. 200. Washington, DC.


	Grass Description - Glossary of Grass Terminology Origin: Native Season: Cool and Warm Habitat Description: Found on wet streambanks and in moist disturbed areas. Plant Communities:Riparian, Disturbed Areas Elevation: 1000 - 7000 feet General Description Desc: Robust annual grass to 5 feet tall with dense oval seedheads. Stems are generally erect or occasionally reclining with ascending tips. The spikelets appear green and white striped when fresh due to the green wings and veins on the straw colored glumes. Identification Notes: Annual up to 60 inches tall; erect ascending stems; many flat basal and stem blades; seedheads narrow, dense, spike-like; sheath internodes and blades often smooth. Glumes may have very narrow wings; spikelets of 1 to 2 sterile and 1 fertile florets. Grass Type: Annual Rhizomes: N Stolons: N Large Dense Clump (> 2 feet): N Bushy (highly branched): N Height with Seedheads: Greater than 36 inches Seedhead Structure: Branched - contracted Seedhead Droops: N Flowering Period: Apr - Aug Flower Characteristics Number of Flowers per Spikelet: Multi-flowered Spikelets One-sided: N Awns: Absent Three Awns: N Awns Bent: N Flower and Seedhead Notes: Seedheads are egg shaped or subcylindrical, about 3 inches long by 3/4 inch wide. Spikelets are borne singly on short branches and are densely layered. There are usually 3 florets per spikelet, the first two are sterile and the third is bisexual. Vegetative Charcteristics Blade Hairy: N Blade with White Margins: N Blade Cross section: Flat Blade Notes: Blades are up to 6 inches long, 1/2 inch wide, smooth, shiny green, and tapering to a pointed end. Blades are usually flat but are sometimes revolute. Sheath Hairy: N Tuft of Hairs at top of Sheath or Collar: N Ligules: Membranous Auricles (Ear-like lobes at collar area: N Forage Value: Fair to good, particularly in early growth stages.


	Arizona Cooperative Extension Yavapai County 840 Rodeo Dr #C Prescott, AZ 86305 (928) 445-6590	Version 8.0 http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailGrass.php Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022 Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson Legal Disclaimer