Echinochloa oryzoides

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; 25–150 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule absent. Leaf-blades 7–35 cm long; 5–12 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–5 cm long; simple. Central inflorescence axis 6–25 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing irregular; 2 -rowed.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; cuspidate; 3.8–6.5 mm long; falling entire.

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 hispid. Lower glume apex cuspidate. Upper glume ovate; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface hispidulous. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; hispid; acuminate; muticous, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 0–25 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 3.5–5 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.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: west-central tropical and southern tropical. Asia-temperate: Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern, northwestern, and north-central. South America: western South America and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. FZ.

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