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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Echinochloa pyramidalis

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; reed-like; 100–400 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or hispid. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 8–60 cm long; 2–25 mm wide; stiff; glaucous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes borne along a central axis; simply spaced, or closely spaced; ascending; unilateral; 3–20 cm long; simple, or secondarily branched. Central inflorescence axis 8–40 cm long. Rhachis angular; glabrous on surface, or pilose on surface. Spikelet packing irregular; 4–6 -rowed.

Spikelets 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; compressed slightly; gibbous; acute; 2.5–3.5(–4) 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; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or hispidulous. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume ovate; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or hispidulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; glabrous, or hispidulous; acute, or acuminate; muticous, or awned (rarely). Awn of lower sterile floret 0–3 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 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 tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, middle Atlantic ocean, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Arabia. Australasia: Australia. North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, and northern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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