Phalaris canariensis.

Botanical name: 

Phalaris canariensis Linn. Gramineae. Canary Grass.

Europe, north Africa and now naturalized in America. Canary grass is cultivated for its seeds, which are fed to canary birds. In Italy, the seeds are ground into meal and made into cakes and puddings, and, in the Canary Islands, they are used in the same manner and also made into groats for porridge. The common yield is from 30 to 34 bushels of seed per acre in England, but occasionally the yield is as much as 50 bushels. The chaff is superior for horse food and the straw is very nutritious. Canary grass is sparingly grown in some parts of the United States as a cultivated plant.


Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World, 1919, was edited by U. P. Hedrick.