View source for Phil Bendle Collection:Echinochloa crus-galli (Barnyard grass)

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'''Kingdom:''' Plantae<br />
'''(unranked):''' Angiosperms<br />
'''(unranked):''' Monocots<br />
'''(unranked):''' Commelinids<br />
'''Order:''' Poales<br />
'''Family:''' Poaceae<br />
'''Subfamily:''' Panicoideae<br />
'''Genus:''' Echinochloa<br />
'''Species''': E. crus-galli<br />
'''Binomial name''': Echinochloa crus-galli<br />
'''Synonyms''': Echinochloa crus-galli subsp. spiralis, Echinochloa crus-galli var. edulis, Echinochloa crus-galli var. mitis, Echinochloa spiralis, Panicum crus-galli, Panicum crus-galli var. mite<br />
'''Common names:''' Barnyard grass, Cockspur, Cockspur grass, Barnyard millet, Japanese millet, Water grass, Common barnyard grass, 

Echinochloa crus-galli is an annual grass originating from Eurasia. It is considered one of the world's worst weeds and is included in the Global Compendium of Weeds (Randall, 2012). It reduces crop yields and causes forage crops to fail by removing up to 80% of the available soil nitrogen. The high levels of nitrates it accumulates can poison livestock. It acts as a host for several mosaic virus diseases. Heavy infestations can interfere with mechanical harvesting.

Echinochloa crus-galli is a tall, tufted, vigorous, summer-active grass that can grow as tall as 150 cm. It has a fibrous root system but no rhizome.<br />
It has long, bright-green leaves which are linear, very acute at the apex, leaf-blades are up to 65 cm long x 5-30 mm wide, usually glabrous, occasionally sparsely hirsute. There is no ligule at the base of the leaf blade and often reddish at the base.<br />
The inflorescence is 5-25 cm long, erect, densely flowered and hairy. It forms a drooping and racemose panicle. The seed heads are a distinctive feature, green or purple in colour, with large millet-like seeds in crowded spikelets. Those at the base are longer than those at the top<br />
Individual plants can produce up to 40,000 seeds per year. Water, birds, insects, machinery, and animal feet disperse it, but by contaminated seed is probably the most common dispersal method.

[[File:1-Echinochloa crus-galli — Flora Batava — Volume v6.jpg|frameless|upright 2.25]] 

[[File:1-Echinochloa crus-galli.jpg|frameless|upright 2.25]] 

[[File:1-Echinochloa crus-galli John Tann.jpg|frameless|upright 2.25]] 

[[File:1-Echinochloa crus-galli ,Michael Becker.jpg|frameless|upright 2.25]]

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[[File:1-Echinochloa crus-galli a.jpg|frameless|upright 2.25]]

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0


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[[Category:Weeds]]
[[Category:Phil Bendle Collection]]