Echinochloa telmatophila

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; robust, or of moderate stature; 100–180 cm long; 5–9 mm diam.; 5–6 -noded; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes channelled; striate; smooth. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse; arising from mid culm and upper culm. Leaf-sheaths longer than adjacent culm internode; keeled; striately veined; glabrous on surface, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule absent. Collar glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blades 15–35 cm long; 9–18 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 10 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially, or abaxially, or on both sides; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous; glabrous, or tuberculate-ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; erect, or ascending; unilateral; 2–10 cm long; simple, or with branchlets at base of longer racemes. Central inflorescence axis 20–35 cm long. Rhachis angular; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing crowded; 4 -rowed. Raceme-bases stiffly setose.

Spikelets in pairs, or in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; subequal. Pedicels unequal; scabrous; tip discoid.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; cuspidate; 3–4.2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface spinose; rough below; puberulous; hairy between veins. Upper glume apex acuminate, or cuspidate; muticous, or mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 2–7 mm long.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; flat across back; spinulose; rough on veins; puberulous; hairy between veins; acuminate, or cuspidate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 10–40 mm long. Palea of lower sterile floret 1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; gibbous; 3–4.1 mm long; 1.25–1.5 mm wide; indurate; much thinner above; yellow; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex cuspidate. Palea reflexed at apex; 1 length of lemma; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.6–1.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; oblong; 1.8–2.3 mm long. Embryo 0.75 length of caryopsis.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia and New Zealand.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl NSW 1997.

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