Echinochloa callopus

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms 20–120 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 5–30 cm long; 4–10 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; spreading, or appressed; unilateral; 1–6 cm long; simple. Central inflorescence axis 2–20 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; acute; 3.3–4.6 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus globular; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; 0.3–0.6 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.3–0.4 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous, or spinose. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous, or spinose. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; scabrous; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 3–4 mm long; indurate; much thinner above; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex rostrate; laterally pinched. Palea reflexed at apex; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, and east tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.