Family:
Poaceae Barnhart
Genus:
Echinochloa P.Beauv.

Echinochloa elliptica P.W.Michael & Vickery

This species is accepted, and its native range is N. Australia.

[GB]
Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 80-150 cm long; compressible; 6 -noded; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths keeled; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 7-15 cm long; 5-10 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous; glabrous, or tuberculate-ciliate; hairy at base. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes; embraced at base by subtending leaf. Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; closely spaced; erect, or ascending; unilateral; 2-4 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 7-15 cm long. Rhachis subterete; with scattered hairs; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing 4 -rowed. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; subequal. Pedicels unequal; 0.5-0.75 mm long; scabrous; tip discoid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 4-4.5 mm long; 1.5 mm wide; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 4-4.5 mm long; 1.5 mm wide; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.5 length of spikelet; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous; hispidulous; hairy on veins. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous; hispidulous; hairy on veins. Upper glume apex acuminate; muticous, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1-10 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5(-7) -veined; scabrous; hispidulous; hairy on veins; attenuate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 6-30 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 3-4 mm long; indurate; much thinner above; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex cuspidate; laterally pinched. Palea reflexed at apex; indurate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.75-1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.9-2.3 mm long. Embryo 0.6 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Paniceae. Michael 1994.

Native to:

Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia

Echinochloa elliptica P.W.Michael & Vickery appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
Jun 22, 1973 Lazarides, M. [6805], Northern Territory K000958847 Unknown type material

First published in Telopea 2: 28 (1980)

Accepted by

  • Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species - Synonymy database The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    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 Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0