類蜀黍

Tall annual, 2-3 m high or more, culm branching at the basal nodes. Blade up to 8 cm wide. Pistillate spike infolded in foliaceous spathes. Staminate spikelets arranged in a terminal panicle. Spikelets unisexual; staminate. spikelet in pairs, 2-flowered, on one side of the thickened continuous rachis; glumes membranous, acute. Lemma and palea hyaline. Pistillate spikelets solitary, arranged on opposite sides, sunken in a cavity in the hardened joint of an obliquely articulated rachis, the indurate lower glume covering the cavity. Upper glume membranous, the lemma hyaline.

HSINCHU: Chupei, Wei s. n. in Aug. 24, 1973.

Distributed in Mexico, but introduced to many parts of the world for fodder.