Echinochloa crusgalli

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 30–120 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule absent. Leaf-blades 8–35 cm long; 8–20 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–15; borne along a central axis; ascending; unilateral; 2–10 cm long; with branchlets at base of longer racemes. Central inflorescence axis 6–22 cm long. Rhachis angular; with scattered hairs; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing crowded; irregular; 2–4 -rowed.

Spikelets in pairs, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2–4 in the cluster; subequal. Pedicels oblong; 0.5–2 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; gibbous; acuminate; 3–4 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.3–0.4 length of spikelet; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex cuspidate. Upper glume ovate; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface hispid. Upper glume apex cuspidate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; hispid; acuminate; muticous, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret terminal; 0–50 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 2–3 mm long; indurate; much thinner above; pallid, or yellow; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; laterally pinched. Palea reflexed at apex; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae.

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