Plants perennial; cespitose, with or without stolons. Culms 20-150
cm; nodes pubescent; internodes with papillose-based hairs. Sheaths
pubescent, lower sheaths pilose, upper sheaths with papillose-based hairs; ligules
1-2 mm; blades 3-30 cm long, (1.5) 3-20 mm wide, with scattered papillose-based
hairs, margins scabrous. Panicles 3-12.5 cm, with 2-6(15) spikelike branches
in 2 ranks; primary branches 2-10 cm, appressed to ascending, axes 0.8-1.4
mm wide, flat, winged, hispid, hairs not papillose-based; secondary branches
present; pedicels shorter than the spikelets, scabrous, with 1-3 conspicuous
hairs. Spikelets (3)4-5 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, solitary (rarely paired),
appressed to the branch axes, bases glabrous or with a tuft of hairs. Glumes
scarcely separated, rachilla internode between the glumes not pronounced; lower
glumes 2.7-3.3 mm, (1/2)2/3-3/4 as long as the spikelets, 3-veined, mostly
glabrous but often with 1-3 conspicuous, stiff hairs emanating from the midvein
at approximately mid-length; upper glumes (3)4-5 mm, glabrous or pubescent,
5-veined; lower florets staminate; lower lemmas (3)4-5 mm, glabrous
or pubescent, 5-veined, with or without a setose fringe along the margins; lower
paleas present; upper lemmas 2.2-2.6 mm, apices rounded, shortly awned,
awns 0.5-1.2 mm; anthers 1.2-1.5 mm. 2n = 30, 42.
Urochloa mosambicensis is native to Africa. It was recently found in southern
Texas (Wipff et al. 1993) and is expected to spread. It is grown for forage and
hay in Africa.