Urochloa texana
Plants annual. Culms (20)40-200 cm, erect or decumbent; nodes puberulent; internodes pubescent, at least below the nodes. Sheaths usually with papillose-based hairs, margins shortly ciliate; collars pubescent; ligules 1-1.8 mm; blades 7-24 cm long, 5-20 mm wide, softly pubescent on both surfaces, margins ciliate basally, scabrous distally. Panicles 8-24 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, with spikelike primary branches in more than 2 ranks; primary branches 1-8 cm long, 0.3-0.4 mm wide, appressed to ascending, axes triquetrous, pubescent, with some papillose-based hairs; secondary branches present on the lower branches, short, appressed; pedicels shorter than the spikelets, usually with papillose-based hairs distally. Spikelets 4.8-6 mm long, 1.8-2 mm wide, mostly paired, in 2-4 rows, appressed to the branches. Glumes scarcely separate, rachilla internodes short, not pronounced; lower glumes 2.4-3.2 mm, to 1/2 as long as the spikelets, 5-7-veined, glabrous or sparsely pubescent distally; upper glumes 4-5.5 mm, glabrous or sparsely pilose, 7-9-veined; lower florets staminate (sterile); lower lemmas 4.7-6 mm, glabrous or sparsely pilose, 5-veined; lower paleas present; upper lemmas 3.6-4.1 mm long, 1.7-1.9 mm wide, apices acute, beaked; anthers (1.6) 2.2-2.7 mm. Caryopses 2-3 mm; hilas linear, about 1/2 as long as the caryopses. 2n = 54.
Distribution
Va., Mass., Miss., Tex., La., Calif., N.C., Ala., Kans., Ark., N.Mex., Ga., S.C., Okla., Ky., Ariz., Fla., Mo., Md.
Discussion
Urochloa texana grows in sandy, moist soils from the southern United States to northern Mexico. Populations in the United States outside of Texas may represent relatively recent introductions.
Selected References
None.