Poaceae
Echinochloa

Echinochloa elliptica P.W.Michael & Vickery

First published in Telopea 2: 28 (1980)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is N. Australia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical 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. 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.
[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

    • 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