Echinochloa oryzoides
Early water grass
Family: Poaceae · Type: Grass · Not Native
Echinochloa oryzoides (Early water grass) is a non-native California grass in the Poaceae family, recognized by drooping inflorescence, very long awns, and large ovate spikelets.
Early water grass is a naturalized annual grass found in the Central Valley and Imperial Valley in wet places, especially rice fields, at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from June to October, this grass produces green-tipped spikelets 3.7 to 7 millimeters long with potential awns up to 5 centimeters. Growing in dense tufts with erect stems 40 to 120 centimeters tall, it develops drooping leaf blades 7 to 20 centimeters long and 4 to 12 millimeters wide. Its leaf sheaths are smooth and glabrous, with spreading to strongly drooping branched flower clusters. The fruit develops as a brownish grain nestled within the grass's distinctive spikelet structure.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 5 sympatric species; key features are drooping inflorescence, very long awns, and large ovate spikelets
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet places, especially rice fields, generally flower before rice
Elevation: < 100 m
Outside California: Louisiana, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Echinochloa oryzoides blooms Jun-Oct.
How to tell it apart
vs Sorghum: Echinochloa has no ligule and bristly inflorescence; sorghum has a ligule and smooth three-spikelet clusters.; vs Digitaria: Echinochloa lacks a ligule and has bristly branches; crabgrass has a ligule and finger-like smooth branches.; vs Paspalum: Echinochloa has no ligule and bristly flowers; dallisgrass has a ligule and smooth leathery spikelets.; vs Panicum: Echinochloa completely lacks a ligule on upper leaves; panicgrass has a membranous ligule present.; vs Eriochloa: Echinochloa has bristly spikelets without cups; cupgrass has each spikelet sitting in a distinctive cup.
Frequently asked questions
Is Echinochloa oryzoides native to California?
No. Echinochloa oryzoides is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Echinochloa oryzoides bloom?
Echinochloa oryzoides blooms Jun-Oct.
What plant family does Echinochloa oryzoides belong to?
Echinochloa oryzoides is in the Poaceae family, genus Echinochloa.
What habitat does Echinochloa oryzoides grow in?
Echinochloa oryzoides grows in Wet places, especially rice fields, generally flower before rice.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Echinochloa sp. — Barnyard grass
- Echinochloa colona — Jungle rice
- Echinochloa crus-galli — Barnyard grass
- Echinochloa crus-pavonis var. crus-pavonis — Gulf cockspur grass
- Echinochloa esculenta — Japanese millet
- Echinochloa muricata var. microstachya — Rough barnyardgrass
- Ehrharta calycina — Perennial veldt grass
- Ehrharta erecta — Panic veldt grass
- Ehrharta longiflora — Long-flowered veldt grass
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.