Poaceae
Echinochloa

Echinochloa jubata Stapf

First published in D.Oliver & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Trop. Afr. 9: 619 (1920)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania to S. Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms geniculately ascending, or rambling; 50-200 cm long; spongy. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 10-25 cm long; 3-15 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes borne along a central axis; closely spaced; in a multilateral false spike; unilateral; 2-4 cm long; simple. Central inflorescence axis 8-20 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing crowded; irregular; 4 -rowed. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; gibbous; acuminate; 3-3.5(-4) mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; gibbous; acuminate; 3-3.5(-4) mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.25-0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume surface hispidulous. Lower glume apex cuspidate. Upper glume ovate; membranous; without keels; 5-7 -veined. Upper glume surface hispidulous. Upper glume apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1-6 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; hispidulous; acuminate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 3-25 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 2.5-3 mm long; indurate; much thinner above; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; laterally pinched. Palea reflexed at apex; indurate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Distribution
Africa: west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.
Reference
Paniceae. FTEA.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; culms soft, 50–200 cm. high, rambling or ascending; nodes glabrous.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades 10–25 cm. long, 3–15 mm. wide; ligule a line of hairs; sheaths glabrous, or pubescent above.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence linear to lanceolate, 8–20 cm. long, typically dense with the racemes overlapping to form a head but sometimes interrupted; racemes simple, 2–4 cm. long, the spikelets closely packed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets narrowly elliptic, 3–3.5(–4) m. long, hispid; lower glume often long, 1/4–3/4 the length of the spikelet; upper glume distinctly awned (1–6 mm.); lower floret ♂ or barren, tapering to a slender awn 3–25 mm. long; upper lemma 2.5–3 mm. long.
Habitat
Lake shores; 1200–1700 m.
Distribution
T1 T2 T4 T6 Zaire to South Africa
[FTEA]

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]

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

Morphology General Habit
Annual.
Morphology Culms
Culms 50–200 cm. high, soft, rambling or ascending; ligule a line of hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 8–20 cm. long, linear to lanceolate, typically dense with the racemes overlapping to form an oblong head, but sometimes interrupted; racemes 2–4 cm. long, simple, the spikelets closely packed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3–3.5(4) mm. long, narrowly elliptic.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Inferior glume length of 1/4–;3/4 length of spikelet; superior glume distinctly awned (1–6 mm.).
Inferior
Inferior lemma tapering to a slender awn 3–25 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma
Superior lemma 2.5–3 mm. long. Inferior lemma tapering to a slender awn 3–25 mm. long.
Superior
Superior lemma 2.5–3 mm. long.
[FZ]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/