Urochloa reptans

Illustrator: Cindy Roché, Linda A. Vorobik

Copyright: Utah State University

Plants annual; forming sprawling mats. Culms 10-35 cm, prostrate to decumbent; nodes glabrous or sparsely puberulent. Sheaths glabrous or sparsely pubscent, margins densely ciliate; ligules 0.5-1 mm; blades 2-6 cm long, 4-15 mm wide, adaxial surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent with papillose-based hairs, margins ciliate basally. Panicles 1.5-6(8) cm long, 4-5 cm wide, ovoid, with 3-16 spikelike branches in more than 2 ranks; primary branches 1-4 cm long, 0.2-0.5 mm wide, flat, scabrous; secondary branches occasionally present; pedicels shorter than the spikelets, scabrous, glabrous or with long hairs distally. Spikelets 1.8-2.2 mm long, 0.8-1 mm wide, mostly in pairs, in 2-4 rows, appressed to the branches. Glumes scarcely separate, rachilla internodes short, not pronounced; lower glumes 0.2-0.6 mm, 1/5 – 1/4 as long as the spikelets, 0-1-veined; upper glumes 1.7-2.1 mm, glabrous, 7-veined, without cross venation; lower florets sterile or staminate; lower lemmas 1.7-2.1 mm, glabrous, 5-veined, without cross venation; lower paleas present; upper lemmas 1.5-1.8 mm long, 0.8-1 mm wide, apices rounded, mucronate, mucros to about 0.1 mm; anthers 0.4-0.6 mm. Caryopses 0.8-1.2 mm. 2n = 14(18).

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Puerto Rico, Md., Tex., La., Virgin Islands, Ala., Fla.

Discussion

Urochloa reptans is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, growing in disturbed habitats. In the Flora region, it is found primarily in Texas and Louisiana.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.