Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Phalaris paradoxa L.

Family

Gramineae (South Australia)
Poaceae (Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory)

Common Names

annual canarygrass, awned canary grass, awned canary-grass, bristle spiked canarygrass, hood canary grass, hood canary-grass, hood canarygrass, Mediterranean canary grass, paradox canary-grass, paradoxa grass, paradoxical canary grass, paradoxical canarygrass

Origin

Native to northern Africa (i.e. Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia), the Madeira Islands, the Canary Islands, southern Europe (i.e. France, Portugal, Spain, Albania, Greece, Italy and Yugoslavia) and western Asia.

Naturalised Distribution

Widely naturalised in southern and eastern Australia (i.e. in southern and central Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, many parts of South Australia and the southern and western parts of Western Australia).

Also widely naturalised overseas, including in the USA and Hawaii.

Notes

Paradoxa grass (Phalaris paradoxa) is a common weed of crops in the temperate regions of Australia, however it is also regarded as an environmental weed in Victoria.