Echinochloa macrandra

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; 80–200 cm long; 3–6 mm diam.; 6–7 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; striate; smooth; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths loose; mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; without keel, or keeled; striately veined; smooth; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1–1.5 mm long. Collar pubescent. Leaf-blades 12–25 cm long; 6–12 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 12 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous; glabrous, or tuberculate-ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex acuminate, or attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; erect, or ascending; unilateral; 3–7 cm long; simple, or with branchlets at base of longer racemes. Rhachis angular; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing lax; 4 -rowed. Raceme-bases hirsute.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; subequal. Pedicels unequal; 0.5–1 mm long; scabrous; tip discoid.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; cuspidate; 6 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface asperulous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; rough on veins. Upper glume apex acuminate, or caudate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 5–10 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; flat across back, or concave across back; scabrous, or spinulose; rough on veins; acuminate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 20–90 mm long. Palea of lower sterile floret 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; gibbous; 4.5–5 mm long; indurate; much thinner above; yellow; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex cuspidate; scabrous. Palea reflexed at apex; 1 length of lemma; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 2.5–2.8 mm long; orange.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or oblong; 3–3.1 mm long; pallid, or light brown. Embryo 0.6 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Mich & Vick 1997.

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