Poaceae
Echinaria

Echinaria capitata (L.) Desf.

First published in Fl. Atlant. 2: 385 (1799)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SE. Hungary to Medit. and Central Asia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Culms 4-30 cm long. Culm-internodes smooth. Leaf-sheaths tubular for much of their length; scaberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; lacerate. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 4-7.5 cm long; 2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle capitate; ovate, or globose; 0.8-1.5 cm long. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels oblong; scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 2-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4-7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 2-4 fertile florets; with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets oblong; laterally compressed; 4-7 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes persistent; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume elliptic; 2.5-3 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; membranous; 2-keeled; 2 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex obtuse; mucronate; 2 -awned (mucros). Upper glume elliptic; 2.5-3 mm long; 1-1.1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume apex emarginate; mucronate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma oblong; 2-2.5 mm long; coriaceous; without keel; 5-7 -veined. Lemma surface scabrous. Lemma apex dentate; 5-7 -fid; awned; 5-7 -awned. Principal lemma awn curved; reflexed; flat below; pungent; 3-6 mm long overall. Lateral lemma awns arising on apex of lobes; spreading as much as principal; shorter than principal. Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined. Palea keels scabrous. Palea apex awned; awns 4-5 mm long. Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2. Anthers 3; 1-1.2 mm long. Ovary pubescent on apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; laterally compressed; 2 mm long; hairy at apex. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Europe: southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north. Asia-temperate: Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, and western Asia.
Reference
Poeae. FW 1995.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images