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Texas liverseed grass, Texas millet, Texas signalgrass

Arizona signalgrass

Habit Plants annual. Plants annual.
Culms

(20)40-200 cm, erect or decumbent;

nodes puberulent;

internodes pubescent, at least below the nodes.

15-65 cm, erect or geniculate, branching from the lower nodes;

nodes glabrous or hispid.

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.

glabrous or with papillose based hairs, margins ciliate distally;

ligules 1-1.6 mm;

blades 5-15 cm long, 5-12 mm wide, glabrous.

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.

6-20 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, ovoid, with 6-12 spikelike primary branches in more than 2 ranks;

primary branches 3-7 cm, divergent, axes about 0.4 mm wide, triquetrous, densely pubescent with papillose-based hairs;

secondary branches short, divergent;

pedicels shorter than the spikelets, with papillose-based hairs.

Spikelets

4.8-6 mm long, 1.8-2 mm wide, mostly paired, in 2-4 rows, appressed to the branches.

3.2-4 mm long, 1.2-1.6 mm wide, mostly paired, in 2 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.

scarcely separate, rachilla internodes short, not pronounced;

lower glumes 1.5-2 mm, to 1/2 as long as the spikelets, glabrous, 5-veined, sometimes with evident cross venation near the apices;

upper glumes 2.5-3.2 mm, glabrous or shortly hirsute, 7-veined, with evident cross venation distally;

lower florets staminate or sterile;

lower lemmas 2.5-3.2 mm, glabrous or shortly hirsute, 5-veined, about as long as the spikelet;

lower paleas present;

upper lemmas 2.8-3 mm long, 1.2-1.6 mm wide, acute, beaked or mucronate;

anthers 0.8-1 mm.

Caryopses

2-3 mm;

hilas linear, about 1/2 as long as the caryopses.

1.5-2 mm;

hila punctiform.

2n

= 54.

= 36.

Urochloa texana

Urochloa arizonica

Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; FL; GA; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NM; OK; SC; TX; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AZ; CA; FL; MS; NM; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.

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

Urochloa arizonica is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, but has been introduced to, and appears to be established in, the southeastern United States. It grows in open, dry areas with rocky or sandy soils.

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

Source FNA vol. 25, p. 495. 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. platyphylla, U. ramosa, U. reptans, U. subquadripara, U. villosa
U. adspersa, U. arrecta, U. brizantha, U. ciliatissima, U. fusca, U. mosambicensis, U. mutica, U. panicoides, U. piligera, U. plantaginea, U. platyphylla, U. ramosa, U. reptans, U. subquadripara, U. texana, U. villosa
Synonyms Panicum texanum, Brachiaria texana Panicum arizonicum, Brachiaria arizonica
Name authority (Buckley) R.D. Webster (Scribn. & Merr.) Morrone & Zuloaga
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