Urochloa panicoides

Urochloa panicoides P.Beauv., Ess. Agrostogr. 52 1812. (Syn: Echinochloa hirta (Roem. & Schult.) Schult.; Hemigymnia javanica (Poir.) Alston; Oplismenus hirsutus Schult.; Oplismenus hirtus B.Heyne ex Roth; Oplismenus javanicus (Poir.) Roem. & Schult.; Panicum borzianum Mattei; Panicum controversum Steud. [Illegitimate]; Panicum helopus Trin. ..; Panicum hirsutum J.Koenig ex Roxb. [Illegitimate]; Panicum hirtum (Roem. & Schult.) Roth [Illegitimate]; Panicum hochstetterianum A.Rich.; Panicum japonicum Kunth [Spelling variant]; Panicum javanicum Poir.; Panicum koenigii Spreng.; Panicum marathense Henrard [Invalid]; Panicum oxycephalum Peter; Panicum panicoides (P.Beauv.) Hitchc.; Panicum rothii Spreng.; Panicum setarioides Peter [Invalid]; Panicum trichopus subsp. breviglume Chiov. ..; Panicum urochloa Desv. [Illegitimate]; Setaria hirsuta (Schult.) Kunth; Setaria hirta (Roem. & Schult.) Kunth; Setaria pilifera Spreng. [Illegitimate]; Urochloa helopus (Trin.) Stapf .; Urochloa javanica (Poir.) Stapf; Urochloa jinshaicola B.S.Sun & Z.H.Hu; Urochloa longifolia var. yuanmuensis (B.S. Sun & Z.H. Hu) S.L. Chen & Y.X. Jin; Urochloa marathensis Henrard .; Urochloa panicoides var. marathensis (Henrard) Bor ..; Urochloa pubescens Kunth; Urochloa ruschii Pilg.);

Urochloa panicoides is a fodder grass originating in Southern Africa.

Habitat: annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 10–100 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base amplexicaul. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 2–25 cm long; 5–18 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-blade margins tuberculate–ciliate; hairy at base.

Inflorescence: Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 2–7(–10); borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1–7 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–9 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; glabrous on surface, or with scattered hairs. Spikelet packing abaxial; regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled. Pedicels bearing a few hairs.

Fertile spikelets: Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed strongly; plano-convex; acute; (2.5–)3.5–4.5(–5.5) mm long; falling entire.

Glumes: Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.5(–0.66) times length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1 times length of spikelet; membranous; without s; 7–11 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

Floret: Basal sterile florets male, or barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 times length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; glabrous, or pubescent; eciliate on margins, or setose on margins; acuminate. Fertile lemma orbicular; dorsally compressed; 2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0.3–1 mm long overall. Palea indurate.^[2]

Urochloa setigera can be confused with forms of U. panicoides with pubescent, paired spikelets, especially when the base is missing. Urochloa panicoides has less abruptly cuspidate spikelets, a more coarsely rugose fertile floret, and a much longer mucro on the upper lemma.

(From Wikipedia on 21.4.13)

It commonly occurrs in wet sandy localities or along roadsides and rocky areas. Whereas, it is occasionally seen along the bunds of paddy fields and along wet sandy shores.

Urochloa panicoides is a tufted, stoloniferous and annual grass. In India, it is widely distributed in Tamil Nadu (almost all districts), Maharashtra (common in all districts), Andhra Pradesh (Diguvametta), Kerala (Walayar in Palagat district), Madhya Pradesh (Balaghat, Bhopal, Indore, Sidhi), Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

It is a pantropical species and widely seen in Africa, Australia, Pakistan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Fiji.

(From IUCN Red List (LC) )