Echinochloa crus-galli

Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv., Ess. Agrostogr. 53. 1812; Babu, Herb. Fl. Dehra Dun 607. 1977; Dhaliwal & Sharma, Fl. Kullu Dist. 679. 1999; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 667. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 780. 2006; Bor, Grasses Burma, Ceyl. Ind. Pak. 310. 1960; Sharma & Khosla, Grasses Punj. and Chandigarh 133. 1989; Chen & Phillips, Fl. China @ eFloras.org 22: 517; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 193; Gram. Fl. Taiwan @ eFloras.org; Panicum crus-galli L., Sp. Pl. 56. 1753; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 7: 30. 1897; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 581. 1921 (Reprint 1980).

Annual with erect or geniculately ascending culms, up to 1 m high, simple or branched. Nodes glabrous. Leaf blades linear-lanceolate, 10-25 cm x 0.5-1.5 cm, flat, tapering to an acute point, glabrous, scabrid or smooth on margin; leaf sheath loose, compressed, glabrous or with sparse marginal setae; ligule absent. Inflorescence an erect, 5-20 cm long, stout or flexuous panicle; racemes few to 15, erect or spreading, 3-5 cm long, solitary, paired or fascicled; tubercle-based setae present between the spikelets on rachis and also at base of racemes. Spikelets loosely to densely crowded in 2-more rows on rachis, 3-4 mm x ca. 2 mm, ovate-elliptic, hispidulous, acute, cuspidate or awned, green or purplish, shortly pedicelled, 2-flowered. Glumes unequal; lower glume ca. 1/3 as long as spikelet, broadly ovate, subacute to subcuspidate, 3-nerved, scaberulous, membranous; upper glume longer than lower glume but slightly shorter than the full length of the spikelet, broadly ovate-oblong, acuminate or cuspidate, 5-7-nerved, pubescent between scaberulous nerves, herbaceous. Lower floret: Barren. Its lemma (lower lemma) similar to upper glume, flat and depressed on back, cuspidate or awned, awn scabrid, flexuous, up to 2 cm long. Palea (lower palea) shorter than lower lemma, keeled, scaberulous on keel. Upper floret: Bisexual. Its lemma (upper lemma) slightly shorter than lower lemma, subcoriaceous, elliptic-ovate, acuminate or cuspidate. Palea (upper palea) nearly similar in size and texture to upper lemma. Lodicules 2. Stamens; anthers ca. 1 mm long. Caryopsis broadly elliptic.

Flowering and Fruiting: August to November
Common Names: Barnyard Millet, Jungle Rice, Cock’s Foot, Prickly Grass, Cockspur Grass, Japanese Millet, Water Grass