Echinochloa haploclada

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms 30–300 cm long; firm, or wiry. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs, or absent. Leaf-blades 5–30 cm long; 3–10(–20) mm wide; concolorous, or variegated (with purple bars).

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1–5 cm long; simple. Central inflorescence axis 7–25 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing crowded; 4 -rowed.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or orbicular; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; gibbous; cuspidate; 1.5–2.5(–3) mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.3–0.4 length of spikelet; membranous; purple; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface hispid. Lower glume apex cuspidate. Upper glume ovate; membranous; purple; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface hispidulous. 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 -veined; hispidulous; cuspidate; muticous, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret flexuous (curved); 0–5(–15) mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 1.5–2.3 mm long; indurate; much thinner above; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; laterally pinched. Palea reflexed at apex; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

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

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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