Phalaris minor is a species of grass

Grass

Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...

 native to northern Africa, Europe and Asia, and widely naturalised elsewhere.

Common names include little seed canary grass, small-seeded canary grass, small canary grass and lesser canary grass.

Description

It grows as a tufted annual bunchgrass up to 1.8 metres in height, with a spike-like panicle

Panicle

A panicle is a compound raceme, a loose, much-branched indeterminate inflorescence with pedicellate flowers attached along the secondary branches; in other words, a branched cluster of flowers in which the branches are racemes....

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Common Name Is Guli Danda

Taxonomy

It has had an uneventful taxonomic history. It was first published under its current name by Anders Jahan Retzius

Anders Jahan Retzius

Anders Jahan Retzius was a Swedish chemist, botanist and entomologist.-Biography:Born in Kristianstad, he matriculated at Lund University in 1758, where he graduated as a filosofie magister in 1766. He also trained as an apothecary apprentice. He reveived the position of docent of chemistry at...

 in 1783, and has retained that name since. It has no synonyms, and no infraspecific taxa.

Distribution and habitat

It is native to northern Africa, Europe and Asia; and widely naturalised elsewhere.

Uses and economic importance

It is used as a fodder or forage for livestock and birdseed, but is poisonous to some mammals, and is a potential contaminant of seed crops.