Common name: Paradoxa Grass
Phalaris paradoxa L. APNI* 
Description: Tufted annual to 1 m high.
Leaves with sheath striate, lightly scaberulous, the uppermost usually much inflated around the base of the panicle; ligule thinly membranous, 3–5 mm long; blade 2–9 mm wide, scabrous, sometimes slightly glaucous.
Panicle partly enclosed in sheath, 2–9 cm long, dense. Spikelets usually falling in groups of 7, usually with 6 sterile spikelets clustered about a single fertile spikelet; sterile spikelets very variable, unequal. Glumes of the fertile spikelets subequal, 5.5–8.5 mm long, to 7-nerved. Sterile florets of the fertile spikelet represented by scale-like, glabrous projections at the base. Fertile lemma 2.5–3.5 mm long, hardened, pallid, shining.
Flowering: spring.
Distribution and occurrence: Common on the black soils of the Western Plains, a common crop weed. Native of Medit. region. All regions except ST; Qld, Vic., S.A., W.A.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *NWP, *SWP, *NFWP, *SFWP
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *W.A. *S.A.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & S. M. Hastings
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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