Echinochloa crus-galli

Tufted annual. Culms erect, to 150 cm high. Leaves glabrous; blade flat, 10–35 cm long and 6–20 mm wide, margins often undulate. Panicle 6–20 cm long, fully exserted from upper sheath at maturity, often purplish; primary branches up to 15, spreading from main axis, 2–10 cm long, scabrous, with several bristles subtending each group of spikelets. Spikelets 3–3.7 mm long (excluding awns); lower glume 3–5-nerved, ovate, c. 1 mm long, hairy, mucronate; upper glume 5-nerved, as long as spikelet (excluding awns), acuminate or with an awn to c. 1 cm long, dorsally rounded, bristly along the nerves, often pubescent between nerves; lower floret neuter; lower lemma equal to upper glume but flat, long-acuminate and/or with an awn to 5 cm long, palea slightly shorter than body of lemma, membranous; upper lemma subequal to spikelet, dorsally rounded, smooth, pale, tapered abruptly to the short (to 0.5 mm long) membranous, often recurved or distorted apical point. Flowers Nov.–Apr.