Phalaris angusta

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Phalaris angusta
Phalaris angusta.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Subfamily: Pooideae
Genus: Phalaris
Species:
P. angusta
Binomial name
Phalaris angusta
Nees ex Trin.

Phalaris angusta is a species of grass known by the common names timothy canarygrass and narrow canarygrass. It is native to the Americas, where it is most common in Chile and Argentina and can be found in northern South America and sections of the southwestern and southeastern United States. It is also known as an introduced species in Australia. [1] It grows in grassland, prairie, marshland, and other habitat.

Contents

Description

Phalaris angusta is an annual grass reaching as much as 2.5 meters tall. The inflorescence is a narrow cylindrical spike of rough-haired, pointed spikelets.

Toxicity

Like some other Phalaris species, this grass is toxic to livestock. Calves that eat the grass develop neurological signs such as tremors and convulsions and gross examination of their brain tissue reveals large blue-green lesions. [2] Some cattle and sheep die suddenly after grazing in pastures of the grass, while some linger with signs of neurological compromise. [3]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Dichapetalum cymosum</i> Species of plant

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<i>Agrostis scabra</i> Species of grass

Agrostis scabra is a common species of grass known by the common names hair grass, rough bent, rough bent grass, winter bent grass, and ticklegrass. A tumbleweed, it is a bunchgrass native to Asia and much of North America, and widely known elsewhere as an introduced species.

<i>Deschampsia danthonioides</i> Species of flowering plant

Deschampsia danthonioides is a species of grass known by the common name annual hairgrass. It is native to western North America from the Yukon Territory and British Columbia, through California and the Western United States, to Baja California, and also to southern South America in Chile and Argentina.

<i>Paspalum dilatatum</i> Species of grass

Paspalum dilatatum is a species of grass known by the common name dallisgrass, Dallas grass, or sticky heads. It is native to Brazil and Argentina, but it is known throughout the world as an introduced species and at times a common weed. Its rapid growth and spreading rhizomes make it an invasive pest in some areas. It is present in the southern half of North America, southern Europe, much of Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and many tropical and subtropical areas.

<i>Phalaris californica</i> Species of flowering plant

Phalaris californica is an uncommon species of grass known by the common name California canarygrass.

<i>Phalaris caroliniana</i> Species of flowering plant

Phalaris caroliniana is a species of grass known as Carolina canarygrass and maygrass. It is native to the southern United States, and it can be found as a naturalized species along the west coast of the United States, as well as northern Mexico and parts of Europe and Australia. It is most often found in moist to wet habitats, such as marshy meadows, and it can thrive in disturbed areas. It is an annual grass reaching a maximum height between 1 and 1.5 m. The hairy inflorescence is roughly oval in shape and up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long by 2 cm (0.79 in) wide.

<i>Phalaris lemmonii</i> Species of flowering plant

Phalaris lemmonii is an uncommon species of grass known by the common name Lemmon's canarygrass. It is endemic to California, where it can be found in coastal and inland mountain ranges and the Central Valley.

<i>Sporobolus indicus</i> Species of plant

Sporobolus indicus is a species of grass known by the common name smut grass.

<i>Achnatherum thurberianum</i> Species of flowering plant

Achnatherum thurberianum is a species of grass known by the common name Thurber's needlegrass. It is native to the western United States, where it occurs from Washington to California and east to Montana and Wyoming.

<i>Festuca thurberi</i> Species of grass

Festuca thurberi is a species of grass known by the common name Thurber's fescue. It is native to a section of the western United States encompassing New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming. It probably also occurs in parts of Arizona.

<i>Poa fendleriana</i> Species of grass

Poa fendleriana is a species of grass known by the common name muttongrass. It is native to western North America, where its distribution extends from western Canada to northern Mexico.

References

  1. New South Wales Flora
  2. Sousa, R. S. & L. F. Irigoyen. (1999). Experimental poisoning by Phalaris angusta (Gramineae) in cattle. Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira 19 116-22. (Portuguese)
  3. Odriozola, E., et al. (1991). Neuropathological effects and deaths of cattle and sheep in Argentina from Phalaris angusta. Veterinary and Human Toxicology 43:5 465-7.