Poaceae
Echinochloa

Echinochloa praestans P.W.Michael

First published in Telopea 2: 31 (1980)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is New Guinea to N. & E. Australia. It is a perennial or rhizomatous geophyte 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
Perennial. Rhizomes elongated. Culms geniculately ascending; 180-360 cm long; 6-12 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-internodes smooth; distally glabrous. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse; arising from lower culm. Leaf-sheaths loose; longer than adjacent culm internode; smooth, or scaberulous; glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule a fringe of hairs; 5 mm long. Leaf-blades 30-50 cm long; 10-30 mm wide. Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous. Leaf-blade venation with 15-18 secondary veins. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous, or spinulose. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; erect; unilateral; 7-15 cm long; with branchlets at base of longer racemes. Central inflorescence axis 20-50 cm long; glabrous, or puberulous. Rhachis angular; 1 mm wide; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing contiguous; 2-4 -rowed. Raceme-bases glabrous, or hirsute. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; subequal. Pedicels unequal; 1-2 mm long; scabrous; tip discoid.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; dorsally compressed; cuspidate; 3.5-4 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; dorsally compressed; cuspidate; 3.5-4 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.33-0.5 length of spikelet; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume surface spinose; rough on veins; glabrous, or puberulous. Lower glume margins eciliate, or ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute, or acuminate. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5-9 -veined. Upper glume surface spinose; rough on veins; glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume apex acuminate, or caudate.
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; 7 -veined; flat across back, or concave across back; scabrous; rough on veins; cuspidate; muticous, or awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 5-15 mm long. Palea of lower sterile floret 1 length of lemma; smooth, or scabrous; adorned on keels. Fertile lemma elliptic; gibbous; 3.5 mm long; indurate; much thinner above; yellow; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex cuspidate; scabrous. Palea reflexed at apex; 1 length of lemma; indurate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 2-2.6 mm long; orange, or purple.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid, or oblong; 2-2.5 mm long. Embryo 0.66 length of caryopsis.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: Papuasia. Australasia: Australia.
Reference
Paniceae. Michael 1997.
[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