|
Note - this takes you off
of our website |
GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Echinochloa elliptica
HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 80–150 cm long; compressible; 6 -noded; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths keeled; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 7–15 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous; glabrous, or tuberculate-ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; embraced at base by subtending leaf.
Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; closely spaced; erect, or ascending; unilateral; 2–4 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 7–15 cm long. Rhachis subterete; with scattered hairs; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing 4 -rowed.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; subequal. Pedicels unequal; 0.5–0.75 mm long; scabrous; tip discoid.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 4–4.5 mm long; 1.5 mm wide; falling entire.
GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.5 length of spikelet; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous; hispidulous; hairy on veins. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; hispidulous; hairy on veins. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–10 mm long.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5(–7) -veined; scabrous; hispidulous; hairy on veins; attenuate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 6–30 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 3–4 mm long; indurate; much thinner above; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex cuspidate; laterally pinched. Palea reflexed at apex; indurate.
FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.75–1 mm long.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.9–2.3 mm long. Embryo 0.6 length of caryopsis.
DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.
NOTES Paniceae. Michael 1994.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
