Echinochloa pithopus

HABIT Culms 80 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 10–20 cm long; 4–5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; appressed; unilateral; 1–3.5 cm long; simple. Central inflorescence axis 5–8 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing 2–4 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; cuspidate; 5–5.5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus oblong; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; 1 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.25 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous, or spinose. Lower glume apex cuspidate. Upper glume ovate; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous, or spinose. 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; sulcate; scabrous; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 4–4.5 mm long; indurate; much thinner above; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; laterally pinched. Palea reflexed at apex; indurate. Palea apex acute.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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