Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P.Beauv.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora Zambesiaca 10:3. 1989

Morphology General Habit

Coarse annual.

Morphology Culms

Culms 25–100 cm. high, erect or ascending; ligule absent; leaf laminae 62–20 mm. wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence 6–22 cm. long, linear to ovate; racemes untidily 2-several-rowed, the longest 2–10 cm. long usually with short secondary branchlets at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets mostly 3–4 mm. long, ovate-elliptic, hispid.

Inferior

Inferior lemma acuminate or with an awn up to 5 cm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma

Superior lemma 2–3 mm. long, including the short herbaceous apex. Inferior lemma acuminate or with an awn up to 5 cm. long.

Superior

Superior lemma 2–3 mm. long, including the short herbaceous apex.

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology

Alt. 0 - 2500 m.

Morphology General Habit

Herb.

Distribution

Native from Colombia.

Conservation

Not Evaluated.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit

Coarse annual; culms 25–100 cm. high, erect or spreading.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades 7–35 cm. long, 4–20 mm. wide; ligule absent; sheaths glabrous, rarely appressed hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence linear to ovate, 6–22 cm. long, the racemes untidily 2–several-rowed, the longest 2–10 cm. long usually with short secondary branchlets at the base.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets ovate-elliptic, mostly 3–4 mm. long, hispid; lower floret barren, acuminate or with an awn up to 5 cm. long; upper lemma 2–3 mm. long, including the short herbaceous tip.

Habitat

A weed of moist or sandy places, probably introduced; 500–1300 m.

Distribution

warm temperate and subtropical regions of the world, extending into the tropics (but scarcely so in Africa) T6 U4

Morphology General Habit

Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 30-120 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule absent. Leaf-blades 8-35 cm long; 8-20 mm wide.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 5-15; borne along a central axis; ascending; unilateral; 2-10 cm long; with branchlets at base of longer racemes. Central inflorescence axis 6-22 cm long. Rhachis angular; with scattered hairs; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing crowded; irregular; 2-4 -rowed. Spikelets in pairs, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2-4 in the cluster; subequal. Pedicels oblong; 0.5-2 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; gibbous; acuminate; 3-4 mm long; falling entire.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; gibbous; acuminate; 3-4 mm long; falling entire.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.3-0.4 length of spikelet; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume apex cuspidate. Upper glume ovate; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface hispid. Upper glume apex cuspidate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers 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; hispid; acuminate; muticous, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret terminal; 0-50 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 2-3 mm long; indurate; much thinner above; pallid, or yellow; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; laterally pinched. Palea reflexed at apex; indurate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

Distribution

Europe: northern, central, southwestern, southeastern, and eastern. Africa: north, Macaronesia, west tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Siberia, Soviet far east, Soviet Middle Asia, Caucasus, western Asia, Arabia, China, Mongolia, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: western Canada, eastern Canada, northwest USA, north-central USA, northeast USA, southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

Reference

Paniceae.

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

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 2500 m.; Andes, Llanura del Caribe, Valle del Magdalena.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

Conservation

No Evaluada

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/169069/145082692

Conservation

LC - least concern

Use Gene Sources

Crop wild relatives which may possess beneficial traits of value in breeding programmes (State of the World's Plants 2016).