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broadleaf signalgrass

browntop signalgrass

Habit Plants annual. Plants annual; tufted.
Culms

25-100 cm, decumbent, rooting at the lower nodes;

nodes glabrous.

15-120 cm, geniculate;

nodes glabrous or shortly pilose.

Sheaths

glabrous or sparsely pilose;

ligules 0.5-1 mm;

blades 2.5-17.5 cm long, 3-13 mm wide, glabrous or sparsely pilose, bases subcordate, not clasping the stems, margins ciliate basally, with papillose-based hairs.

glabrous or hispid, margins ciliate;

ligules 1-1.5 mm;

blades 3-33 cm long, 5-20 mm wide, glabrous or sparsely pilose on both surfaces, margins smooth or scabrous;

collars pubescent.

Panicles

6-16 cm long, 2-2.5 cm wide, with 2-8 spikelike primary branches in 2 ranks;

primary branches 3-8 cm, axils pubescent, axes 1.3-2.5 mm wide, flat, usually glabrous, occasionally pilose dorsally;

secondary branches rarely present;

pedicels shorter than the spikelets, scabrous and sparsely pilose.

5-15 cm long, 2-8 cm wide, simple, with 5-30 spikelike primary branches in more than 2 ranks;

primary branches 2-10 cm, appressed to divergent, axils glabrous, axes 0.3-0.5 mm wide, triquetrous, scabrous or sparsely pilose;

secondary branches usually present on the lower primary branches, pedicels scabrous and pubescent, shorter than the spikelets.

Spikelets

3.8-5 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, ovoid, bi-convex;

solitary, appressed to the branches, in 2 rows.

2-3.4 mm long, 1.2-1.8 mm wide, obovoid, yellowish to reddish-brown or bronze-colored at maturity, mostly paired, in 2-4 rows, appressed to the branches.

Glumes

scarcely separated;

lower glumes 1.2-1.8 mm, to 1/3 as long as the spikelets, obtuse, glabrous, 5(-7)-veined, not clasping the base of the spikelets;

upper glumes 3.2-4.7 mm, glabrous, 7(-9)-veined;

lower florets sterile;

lower lemmas 3.2-4.7 mm, glabrous, 5-veined;

lower paleas present;

upper lemmas 2.8-3.4 mm long, 1.8-2.3 mm wide, apices incurved, broadly acute to rounded, mucronulate;

anthers about 1 mm.

scarcely separate, rachilla internodes short, not pronounced;

lower glumes 1-1.5 mm, at least lA as long as the spikelets, glabrous, (1)3-5-veined;

upper glumes (2)2.2-3.1 mm, glabrous, 7-9-veined, cross venation evident throughout;

lower florets usually staminate, sometimes sterile;

lower lemmas 2-3.1 mm, usually glabrous, 7-veined, cross venation evident throughout;

lower paleas present;

upper lemmas 1.8-2.9 mm long, 1.1-1.7 mm wide, apices acute to rounded, mucronate;

anthers 1-1.6 mm.

Caryopses

1.5-2.2 mm.

1-1.7 mm;

hila punctiform.

2n

= 36.

= 18, 36.

Urochloa platyphylla

Urochloa fusca

Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; FL; GA; IL; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AZ; FL; GA; LA; NM; OK; TX; PR; Virgin Islands
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Urochloa platyphylla is a weedy species found in open, sandy soil in the southeastern United States, West Indies, and South America. Morrone and Zuloaga (1993) considered reports of its occurrence in Mexico as doubtful, possibly being based on misidentified specimens of Urochloa plantaginea.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Urochloa fusca grows from the southern United States to Peru, Paraguay, and Argentina, usually in moist, often disturbed areas at low elevations. It frequently occurs as a weed, but is occasionally grown for forage and grain.

Plants having smaller, more compact panicles and larger (2.4-3.4 mm), mostly yellowish spikelets have been referred to as Urochloa fusca var. reticulata (Torr.) B.F. Hansen & Wunderlin. This variety is mainly found in the southwestern United States, but has been introduced into other areas, including Australia. Urochloa fusca (Sw.) B.F. Hansen & Wunderlin var. fusca has generally larger, more open panicles and smaller (2-2.5 mm), reddish-brown or bronze-colored spikelets. Much intergradation is reported between the two varieties. Further investigation is needed to establish that their recognition is warranted.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 25, p. 503. FNA vol. 25, p. 495.
Parent taxa Poaceae > subfam. Panicoideae > tribe Paniceae > Urochloa Poaceae > subfam. Panicoideae > tribe Paniceae > Urochloa
Sibling taxa
U. adspersa, U. arizonica, U. arrecta, U. brizantha, U. ciliatissima, U. fusca, U. mosambicensis, U. mutica, U. panicoides, U. piligera, U. plantaginea, U. ramosa, U. reptans, U. subquadripara, U. texana, U. villosa
U. adspersa, U. arizonica, U. arrecta, U. brizantha, U. ciliatissima, U. mosambicensis, U. mutica, U. panicoides, U. piligera, U. plantaginea, U. platyphylla, U. ramosa, U. reptans, U. subquadripara, U. texana, U. villosa
Synonyms Brachiaria platyphylla, Brachiaria extensa U. fasciculata, Panicum fasciculatum var. reticulatum, Panicum fasciculatum, Brachiaria fasciculata
Name authority (Munro ex C. Wright) R.D. Webster (Sw.) B.F. Hansen & Wunderlin
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