Echinochloa sp.
Barnyard grass, Barnyard Grass
(c) Dmitriy Bochkov, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Poaceae · Type: Perennial · Variable; species dependent
Echinochloa sp. (Barnyard grass) is a non-native California perennial in the Poaceae family.
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 sp. native to California?
No. Echinochloa sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Echinochloa sp. belong to?
Echinochloa sp. is in the Poaceae family, genus Echinochloa.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- 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
- Echinochloa oryzicola — Rice barnyardgrass
- Ehrharta calycina — Perennial veldt grass
- Ehrharta erecta — Panic veldt grass
- Ehrharta longiflora — Long-flowered veldt grass
- Ehrharta sp. — Veldt grass
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.