Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv.

English: Barnyard Grass

German: Gewöhnliche Hühnerhirse

Portuguese: Milhã Maior

Spanish: Cola De Caballo

Kingdom: Plantae (2715)

  Phylum: Tracheophyta (2630)

    Class: Liliopsida (397)

      Order: Cyperales (91)

        Family: Poaceae (73)(family description)

          Genus: Echinochloa (2)

            Epithet: crus-galli (L.) Beauv. (1)

Synonyms: Digitaria hispidula (Retz.) Willd., Echinochloa caudata Roshev., Echinochloa commutata Schult., Echinochloa crus-corvi (L.) P.Beauv., Echinochloa dubia Roem. & Schult., Echinochloa echinata (Willd.) Nakai, Echinochloa formosensis (Ohwi) S.L.Dai, Echinochloa glabrescens Kossenko, Echinochloa hispida (E.Forst.) Schult., Echinochloa macrocorvi Nakai, Echinochloa madagascariensis Mez, Echinochloa micans Kossenko, Echinochloa occidentalis (Wiegand) Rydb., Echinochloa paracorvi Nakai, Echinochloa persistentia Z.S.Diao, Echinochloa spiralis Vasinger, Echinochloa tzvelevii Mosyakin ex Mavrodiev & H.Scholz, Echinochloa zelayensis (Kunth) Schult., Milium crus-galli (L.) Moench, Oplismenus crus-galli (L.) Dumort., Oplismenus dubius (Roem. & Schult.) Kunth, Oplismenus echinatus (Willd.) Kunth, Oplismenus limosus J.Presl, Oplismenus zelayensis Kunth, Orthopogon crus-galli (L.) Spreng., Orthopogon echinatus (Willd.) Spreng., Panicum cristagalli Gromov ex Trautv., Panicum crus-galli L., Panicum cruscorvi L., Panicum echinatum Willd., Panicum goiranii Rouy, Panicum hispidum G.Forst., Panicum limosum J.Presl ex Nees, Panicum scindens Nees ex Steud., Panicum zelayense (Kunth) Steud., Pennisetum crus-galli (L.) Baumg.

caudata => tailed, with tail

commutata => changed, altered

crus-galli => refers to the resemblance of the long spines to the spurs of a rooster

dubia => doubtful, uncertain (usually in regard to taxonomic placement)

dubius => doubtful, uncertain (usually in regard to taxonomic placement)

echinata => set with prickles or spines (echinus, a hedgehog, or a prickle)

echinatum => set with prickles or spines (echinus, a hedgehog, or a prickle)

echinatus => set with prickles or spines (echinus, a hedgehog, or a prickle)

glabrescens => becoming smooth or glabrous

hispida => with stiff hairs or bristles

hispidula => somewhat rough or with small bristles

hispidum => with stiff hairs or bristles

madagascariensis => from Madagascar

micans => shining, sparkling, glistening

occidentalis => western

spiralis => coiled, wound round

Climate: sub-tropical

Habitat: mesophytic

Habit: herb

Flower colour: green

Check for Echinochloa crus-galli at

World Flora Online, GBIF or IPNI

• [52] Echinochloa P. Beauv. - The Grass Genera of the World
• [534] Echinochloa crus-galli - Plants For A Future database

• [31] Canzobre, H.L., Samartín, L.A. (1998): Guía da flora do litoral galego. Edicións Xerais de Galicia, Vigo, Spain.
• [20] Klapp,E., Boberfeld,W.O.von (1990): Taschenbuch der Gräser. Paul Parey, Berlin, Germany.
• [13] Sauerborn E., Sauerborn J. (1985): Wichtige Unkrautarten der Tropen und Subtropen. Verlag Josef Margraf, Weikersheim, Germany.