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- Echinochloa crus-galli
Echinochloa crus-galli — common barnyard grass
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Facts
Common barnyard grass is an introduced Eurasian grass found in cultivated fields and disturbed stes throughout New England and, indeed, most of North America, where it is reviled as an agricultural weed. However, several Native American peoples have used the seeds as a valuable food source; they can be used for winter storage, or pounded into a porridge.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf blade width
- 5–30 mm
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Spikelet length
- 4–6 mm
- Glume relative length
- one or both glumes are as long or longer than all of the florets
- Awn on glume
-
- the glume has an awn
- the glume has no awn
- One or more florets
-
- there is more than one floret per spikelet
- there is one floret per spikelet
- Lemma awn length
- 0–50 mm
- Leaf sheath hair type
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Leaf ligule length
- 0 mm
- Anther length
- 0.5–1 mm
-
Flowers
- Anther length
- 0.5–1 mm
- Anther number
- 3
- Awn on glume
-
- the glume has an awn
- the glume has no awn
- Floret lower bract texture
- the lemma is hard and firm
- Floret number
- 1–2
- Floret types within spikelet
-
- NA
- there are at least two distinct forms of florets within one spikelet
- Glume relative length
- one or both glumes are as long or longer than all of the florets
- Glume shape
- the glume is flat or curved in cross-section
- Glume veins
-
- 0
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7 or more
- Inflorescence arrangement
- the spikelets are uniform
- Inflorescence axis orientation
-
- the inflorescence axis is arched or curved outward
- the inflorescence axis is straight
- Inflorescence branches
- the flowers are attached to branches rather than to the main axis of the inflorescence
- Inflorescence length
- 50–250 mm
- Inflorescence type (general)
- the spikelets are borne on stalks or on branches
- Inflorescence type (specific)
- the inflorescence is branched and the branches all grow from the same side of the plant and look like spikes
- Lemma awn base
-
- NA
- the awn is attached right at the tip of the lemma
- Lemma awn length
- 0–50 mm
- Lemma awn number
-
- the lemma has no awn
- the lemma has one awn on it
- Lemma cross-section
- the lemma is flat or rounded if you cut across the midpoint
- Lemma surface
- the surface of the lemma is relatively smooth (not counting any longitudinal veins or hairs)
- Lemma tip
- the lemma tip is a simple point, with or without an awn (long narrow extension ending in a point)
- Lemma vein number
- 5
- One or more florets
-
- there is more than one floret per spikelet
- there is one floret per spikelet
- Palea relative length
- palea is one half to fully as long as lemma
- Spikelet axis tip
- there is no extension of the spikelet axis beyond the tip of the spikelet
- Spikelet length
- 4–6 mm
- Spikelets spiny
- the spikelets do not appear spiny
- Upper glume shape
- the upper glume is widest at or below the middle
-
Leaves
- Leaf auricles
- the leaves do not have auricles
- Leaf blade width
- 5–30 mm
- Leaf ligule length
- 0 mm
- Leaf ligule type
- the leaf ligule is absent
- Leaf sheath closed around stem
- the margins of the leaf sheath are overlapping and not fused together except in the basal half (or less)
- Leaf sheath hair type
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
- Leaf sheath hairs
- there are no hairs on the surface of the leaf sheath
-
Place
- Habitat
-
- terrestrial
- wetlands
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Hairs at nodes
- the stem nodes are hairless or they have very sparse hairs
Wetland status
Occurs in wetlands or non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FAC)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
2. Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. E
common barnyard grass. Panicum crus-galli L. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Cultivated fields, areas of habitation, ditches, disturbed soil.
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Echinochloa muricata:
- coriaceous portion of upper lemmas acute to acuminate at apex, gradually transitioning from the coriaceous body into the membranous tip, the two regions not offset by a line of minute hairs (vs. E. crus-galli, with the coriaceous portion of upper lemmas rounded at apex, abruptly transitioning to an early withering, membranous apex, the two regions separated by a line of minute hairs).
- Echinochloa frumentacea:
- lower lemmas usually unawned and upper lemmas wider and longer than the upper glumes at maturity, the margins and apex exposed and visible (vs. E. crus-galli, with lower lemmas usually awned and upper lemmas not or barely exceeding the upper glumes in length and width, primarily concealed).
Synonyms
- Panicum crus-galli L.