Echinochloa turneriana

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–130 cm long; 3–6 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths keeled; glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5–30 cm long; 4–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous, or ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; closely spaced; appressed; unilateral; 1–4 cm long; bearing 10–30 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 2.5–13 cm long; glabrous. Rhachis subterete; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing 4 -rowed.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; subequal. Pedicels unequal; 0.2–1.1 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; cuspidate; 4–5.7 mm long; 1.7–2.2 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 1.5–2.2 mm long; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; without keels; 3–7 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex acute; mucronate. Upper glume elliptic, or ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 9 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex cuspidate; mucronate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; concave across back; scabrous; obtuse. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 3.8–5.5 mm long; indurate; much thinner above; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex rostrate; laterally pinched. Palea reflexed at apex; indurate.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Webster 1994.

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