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Echinochloa colona - jungle rice

Scientific Family
Poaceae
Synonyms
Panicum colonum
Other common names
awnless barnyard grass
Plant type
Grasses
Riparian
Yes

Grass Description

Origin
Introduced
Season
Warm

Moist soils and disturbed areas such as seasonally flooded grasslands and cultivated or irrigated fields and ditches.

Plant Community
Disturbed Areas
Riparian
Low elevation
0
High elevation
5500
Similar species
Echinochloa crusgalli

General Description

Annual grass growing in clumps or spreading by rooting from trailing stem nodes or short stolons. Mature plants are prostrate or erect and range from 2 to 3 feet in width or height.

Annual, blades flat. Widely spaced seedhead branching with few or no bristles distinguishes this from Echinochloa crusgalli. Spikelets are 2 to 3 mm long and not awned.

Grass type
Annual
Rhizomes
No
Stolons
Yes
Clump Diameter 2 ft or more
Yes
Bushy - highly branched
No
Height with Seedheads
24 inches or more
Seedhead Structure
Branched - contracted
Seedhead droops
No
First bloom month
June
Last bloom month
October

Flower Characteristics

Flowers per Spikelet
Multi-flowered
Spikelets One-Sided
Yes
Awns
Absent
Three Awns
No
Awns bent
No
Flower and Seedhead Notes

Seedheads are spike-like, 1 to 6 inches long with short, compact branches. Two-flowered awnless spikelets are arranged in 4 rows on one side of the seedhead and detach at maturity.

Vegetative Characteristics

Blade is hairy
Yes
Blade margins white
No
Blade cross-section
Flat

Leaves are flat, grayish or dull green, sometimes having purplish banding; hairs on or near the margins. Stems are hairless except for hairs at the stem joints. They are reddish-purple at their base and can root at the lower nodes.

Sheath is hairy
No
Tufts of hair top of sheath or collar
No
Ligule
Absent
Auricles
No

Not available.