FIELD ID CHARACTERISTICS:
Magnification may be necessary to see on the seed cases the many fine hairs among the larger bristles that are not swollen at the base. Seed cases are positioned mainly on one side of the flowering stems.
Synonym(s): Echinochloa crus-galli, Panicum crus-galli
Description: Medium, upright, annual grass, with stout stems, up to over 1 m tall. Frequently branching at the base.
Leaves: Long, tapering leaves, up to 50 cm long and 1 to 2 cm wide.
Flowers/Fruit: Compact terminal panicle, 10 to 25 cm long. Inflorescence appears purplish with bristles and erect or nodding. Spikelets densely concentrated on one side of flowering branches. Seed cases can have bristles of widely varying lengths. Seeds are rounded with tiny tufts of hairs at tips. Flowering and fruiting July to November.
Habit and Range: Fresh marshes, slightly brackish marshes, swamps, moist open areas and waste places statewide.
COMMON CONFUSIONS:
Echinochloa crusgalli (large barnyard grass) is easily confused with the equally common native Echinochloa muricata (rough barnyard grass), which has more elongated seeds in seed cases with larger spines that have swollen bases (requiring magnification to see). Excellent photographic comparisons can be found on the website Minnesotawildflowers.info.
Link to side-by-side comparisons page
