4. Echinochloa muricata (P. Beauv.) Fernald (barnyard grass)
Pl. 163 a,
b; Map 657
Flowering stems 15–150 cm long, slender to stout, erect or
ascending from often spreading bases, less commonly spreading. Leaf sheaths
glabrous (rarely with a few hairs at the tip). Leaf blades 4–40 cm long, 5–30
mm wide, glabrous (rarely with a few hairs at the base). Inflorescences 7–30 cm
long, the main primary branches 2–8 cm long, ascending to less commonly
spreading and relatively densely spaced (rarely spreading at maturity), mostly
strongly overlapping along the main axis, all but the uppermost with several
short, secondary branches. Spikelets 2.8–5.0 mm long (excluding the awns),
elliptic‑ovate in outline, green to dark purple at maturity. Upper glume
2.8–4.8 mm long (excluding the awn, if present), ovate, tapered at the tip to a
sharp point or an awn 1–3 mm long, sparsely to densely hairy, at least along
the nerves, the hairs all or mostly with pustular bases. Sterile floret with
the palea well developed and 2/3–3/4 as long as the lemma, the lemma 2.8–5.0 mm
long (excluding the awn, if present), ovate, tapered at the tip to a sharp
point or an awn 1–16 mm long, sparsely to densely hairy, at least along the
nerves, the hairs all or mostly with pustular bases. Fertile floret with the
lemma 2.4–5.0 mm long, up to 2 times as long as wide, ovate to elliptic‑ovate,
the tip relatively firm, usually unwrinkled and not withering at maturity,
narrow and sharply pointed, without a line of minute hairs at the base. Anthers
0.4–1.0 mm long. 2n=36. July–October.
Common nearly throughout the state (U.S., Canada, Mexico). Bottomland forests, mesic upland forests, bottomland prairies, moist
depressions of upland prairies, margins of ponds, sinkhole ponds, lakes, and
sloughs, and banks of streams and rivers, often in disturbed, sandy areas; also
pastures, fallow fields, crop fields, ditches, roadsides, railroads, and open,
disturbed areas.
This is the part of the E. crusgalli complex that is
native to North America. Most Missouri specimens can be assigned to one of two
overlapping varieties.