Wild Millet (Echinocloa muricata)
- Family: Grass (Poaceae)
- Flowering: July-October.
- Field Marks: This grass is recognized by its usually awned, 1-flowered spikelets. It differs from the very similar barnyard grass by the firm tip on its lemmas.
- Habitat: Fallow fields, in sloughs, along rivers and streams, around lakes and ponds.
- Habit: Coarse perennial with tufts of fibrous roots.
- Stems: Erect, smooth, branched or unbranched, up to 6 feet tall.
- Leaves: Alternate, long and narrow, up to 1 1/4 inches broad, sometimes slightly rough to the touch; sheaths smooth or with broad-based hairs.
- Flowers: 1 per spikelet, with many spikelets grouped to form spikes, the spikes in turn forming a panicle up to 1 foot long; spikelets ovoid, 1/6-1/4 inch long; lemmas with a firm tip, some of the lemmas usually with a terminal awn.
- Grains: About 1/10 inch long.
- Notes: The grains are eaten by waterfowl.
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