Species Factsheets
Echinochloa walteri
Walter's Barnyard-grass
State Status: Pennsylvania Endangered (PE)
PBS Status: Pennsylvania Endangered (PE)
Federal Status:
Global Rank: G5
rank interpretation
State Rank: S1
Description
Walter's barnyard-grass (Echinochloa walteri) is an annual herb that may grow to 2m in height. The leaves are alternately arranged, lance-shaped, about 30cm in length and about 2.5cm in width, usually long-haired on the sheath portion that encloses the stem, parallel-veined, and not toothed on the margin. The flowers, appearing from August to September, are individually only a few millimeters in length and are aggregated in a branched cluster at the top of the stem. The small scales at the base of each flower have elongate needle-like projections, or awns, that give a bristly appearance to the flowering and fruiting clusters.
Rank Justification
Critically imperiled in the nation or state because of extreme rarity (often 5 or fewer occurrences) or because of some factor(s) such as very steep declines making it especially vulnerable to extirpation from the state.
PABS
The PA Biological Survey (PABS) has assigned Walter’s Barnyard-grass a rarity status of Endangered, based on the relatively few populations that have been documented and the restricted state range.
Habitat
Walter's Barnyard-grass grows in marshes, ditches and on shorelines, including intertidal wetlands.
Survey Dates
Flowers August - September
Distribution
In Pennsylvania, it has been documented historically only in a few southeastern counties.
Threats
The species does appear to able to thrive in certain types of disturbed ground. The general habitat of this species has threats from exotic species, dredging and filling, and water pollution.
Conservation Status Map
NatureServe. 2017. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org.
- NatureServe. 2018. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available at https://www.natureserve.org/explorer
- Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program. 2018.
- Rhoads, A.F. and W.M. Klein, Jr. 1993. The Vascular Flora of Pennsylvania. American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rhoads, A.F. and T.A. Block.
- 2007. The Plants of Pennsylvania: An Illustrated Manual. 2nd edition. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
