Poaceae
Echinochloa

Echinochloa holciformis (Kunth) Chase

First published in Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 24: 155 (1911)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico to Guatemala. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms decumbent; 100-150 cm long; 10-15 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 20-30 cm long; 5-15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous; scabrous; ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; closely spaced; unilateral; 4-8 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 15-30 cm long. Rhachis subterete. Spikelet packing 4 -rowed. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; subequal. Pedicels unequal.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; cuspidate; 6-7 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; cuspidate; 6-7 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 2-2.5 mm long; 0.33 length of spikelet; without keels; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex acute, or cuspidate. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface hispidulous; hairy on veins. Upper glume apex acuminate; mucronate, or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 0.5-2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; hispidulous; hairy on veins; acuminate; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret (10-)35-50 mm long. Fertile lemma ovate; 5-6 mm long; coriaceous; much thinner above; shiny; without keel. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acuminate; laterally pinched; mucronate. Palea reflexed at apex; coriaceous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.
Reference
Paniceae. Fl Nov Gall.
[GB]

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]

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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images