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.

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.

Annual 5-15+ dm, often decumbent and rooting below, softly pubescent ±throughout; blades 8-20 cm, נ7-15 mm; panicle 8-20 cm, with short, appressed branches; spikelets secund, subsessile, fusiform, 5-6 mm; fertile lemma rugose; 2n=36, 54. Prairies and open ground, especially in low land along streams, often a weed in fields; Tex., Okla., and n. Mex., casually intr. e. to Ky., N.C. and Fla. (Urochloa t.)

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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