Invasiveness Assessment - Blue canary grass (Phalaris coerulescens) in Victoria
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Plant invasiveness is determined by evaluating a plant’s biological and ecological characteristics against criteria that encompass establishment requirements, growth rate and competitive ability, methods of reproduction, and dispersal mechanisms.
| Each characteristic, or criterion, is assessed against a list of intensity ratings. Depending upon information found, a rating of Low, Medium Low, Medium High or High is assigned to that criterion. Where no data is available to answer a criterion, a rating of medium (M) is applied. A description of the invasiveness criteria and intensity ratings used in this process can be viewed here. |
The following table provides information on the invasiveness of Blue canary grass.
A more detailed description of the methodology of the Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method can be viewed below:
Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method (PDF - 630 KB)
Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method (DOC - 1026 KB)
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Common Name: Blue canary grass
Scientific name: Phalaris coerulescens
| Question | Comments | Rating | Confidence |
| Establishment | |||
| Germination requirements? | No information in the literature outlines the germination requirements for this grass. | M | L |
| Establishment requirements? | Phalaris spp. grasses are able to establish on a wide range of soil types including soils in low rainfall areas and poorly drained soils subject to occasional inundation (Anderton et al, 1999). P. coerulescens is commonly noted in the literature to establish in moist well drained soils (Colegate et al, 1999) and living in slightly wet soils (Herbario Virtual). In Victoria, it is associated with native and exotic grasses on disused pasture (Walsh and Entwisle 1994). For successful establishment the species seems to primarily require moist soils but may have the capacity to establish in drier areas. The ability to grow in disused pasture suggests that it can establish under moderate cover. | MH | MH |
| How much disturbance is required? | When the species was first found and identified in Australia it was associated with native and exotic grasses on disused pastures (Walsh and Entwisle, 1994). In its native, Mediterranean Europe, it is usually found along rivers, lakes and streams or in damp depressions (McLaren and Turner, 1999; Colegate et al, 1999). It has also been found to establish in waste areas, path and road sides, disturbed zones, edges of cultivated fields, cultivated ground/fields, along field boarders and mainly on clay soils with periodic inundation (Baldini, 1995; Herbario Virtual; Tutin et al, 1980). It is noted as a minor component of pastures in several areas of Victoria and is reported to be present in NSW and NT (Blackstock). The species is able to establish in relatively disturbed areas and has been more commonly attributed to establishing in pasture, not cultivated fields in Australia. | MH | MH |
| Growth/Competitive | |||
| Life form? | It is a hemicryptophyte grass belonging to the family Poaeace/Gramineae (Baldini, 1995; GRIN, Herbario virtual). The adult plants grow to heights of 30-150 cm tall (Davis, 1985; McLaren and Turner, 1999). | MH | H |
| Allelopathic properties? | After all the literature reviewed there was no reference to any allelopathy properties relating to the species. However little information exists on this species. | M | L |
| Tolerates herb pressure? | Grazed by horses, sheep and cattle (Colegate et al, 1999). Arevalo et al (2007) conducted a study in pastures in its native Tenerife under a goat grazing management system found that P. coerulescens was the dominant species. It is noted as a minor component of pastures in several areas of Victoria and is reported to be present in NSW and NT (Blackstock). It is a pasture grass that is able to persist within moderate grazing systems. | MH | MH |
| Normal growth rate? | The plant undergoes rapid germination with vigorous seed growth and high production in its seedling year (Anderton et al, 1999, Colegate et al, 1999). It has been noted to be similar to the growth rate of native and exotic grasses on disused pastures (Walsh and Entwisle 1994). It is a rapid growing, competitive species with other perennial grasses. | MH | MH |
| Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc? | The plant establishes in slightly wet soils near waterways (Under Control, 1999; Baldini, 1995, McLaren and Turner, 1999). Furthermore the genus is likened to establish in areas that receive regular inundation (Anderton et al, 1999). Therefore the species may have a degree of tolerance to waterlogging. No information on other tolerances was found. | M | L |
| Reproduction | |||
| Reproductive system | The grass reproduces by seed. Seeds are 2-4 mm long and 0.7-1.4 mm wide (McLaren and Turner, 1999; Undercontrol, 1999). Plants are bisexual and flowers from September to December. The Phalaris genera has been described as being bisexual with bisexual spikelet with hermaphrodite florets with the spikelets of sexually distinct forms on the same plant (rarely), or all alike in sexuality (Watson and Dallwitz, 1985). The species is sexual with either cross and/or self pollination. | ML | M |
| Number of propagules produced? | 6-8 fertile spikelets falling from panicle when mature (Davis, 1985) fruit is dry seed-like fruit (grain). However it is difficult to determine from the available literature on the species biology on how many propagules the grass produces. | M | L |
| Propagule longevity? | No information was found in the literature. | M | L |
| Reproductive period? | After all of the literature reviewed no information on the reproductive period of the grass was found. | M | L |
| Time to reproductive maturity? | After all of the literature reviewed no information time to reproductive maturity of the grass was found. | M | L |
| Dispersal | |||
| Number of mechanisms? | Escape from cultivation in the Armidale area (Harden, 1993). Possible introduction into Victoria as an accidental contaminant of stock fodder (McLaren and Turner, 1999). Suggesting that it is likely that the seed has been dispersed by humans possibly unintentionally such as, through the transport of hay containing seeds from one property to another (Bladstock). Also dispersal through vehicles may also be implicated. Other dispersal mechanisms of the species have not been discussed in the literature reviewed. | MH | ML |
| How far do they disperse? | No information in the literature that explains seed dispersal of this species. | M | L |
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