Poaceae
Echinochloa

Echinochloa pithopus Clayton

First published in Kew Bull. 36: 234 (1981)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Tanzania. It 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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

Morphology General Habit
Base unknown; culms 80 cm. high.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades 10–20 cm. long, 4–5 mm. wide, folded; ligule a line of hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence oblong to linear, 5–8 cm. long, the spikelets borne singly or in pairs in 2–4 rows on appressed racemes 1–3.5 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets ovate-elliptic, 4–4.5 mm. long, scaberulous to spinulose, the basal callus produced into a plumply cylindrical stipe 1 mm. long; lower floret ♂, acute; upper lemma 4–4.5 mm. long, acute, its palea acute and lightly reflexed.
Habitat
Swampy places; 1300 m.
Distribution
T4 not known elsewhere
[FTEA]

Morphology General Habit
Culms 80 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades conduplicate; 10-20 cm long; 4-5 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes borne along a central axis; appressed; unilateral; 1-3.5 cm long; simple. Central inflorescence axis 5-8 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing 2-4 -rowed. Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; cuspidate; 5-5.5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus oblong; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; 1 mm long.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; cuspidate; 5-5.5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus oblong; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; 1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.25 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume surface scabrous, or spinose. Lower glume apex cuspidate. Upper glume ovate; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface scabrous, or spinose. Upper glume apex cuspidate.
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; 5 -veined; sulcate; scabrous; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 4-4.5 mm long; indurate; much thinner above; shiny; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute; laterally pinched. Palea reflexed at apex; indurate. Palea apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3.
Distribution
Africa: east tropical.
Reference
Paniceae. FTEA.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • 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