Urochloa P.Beauv.

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution

12 species in the Old World tropics, mainly Africa.

Habit

Annual or perennial; leaves linear to lanceolate; ligule a line of hairs

Inflorescences

Inflorescence of racemes along an axis

Spikelets

Spikelets single or paired, abaxial, plano-convex, cuspidate to acuminate; lower glume shorter than the spikelet; upper glume membranous to firmly chartaceous; lower floret male or barren, its lemma similar to the upper glume; upper lemma coriaceous, obtuse with a long mucro housed within the spikelet, its margins inrolled and covering only the edges of the palea; upper palea obtuse

Fruits

Caryopsis broadly elliptic to subrotund, strongly flattened.

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Habit

Annual (8), or perennial (4). Stolons absent, or present (1). Culms erect (1/8), or geniculately ascending (5/8), or decumbent (4/8); 10-62.7-170 cm long; without nodal roots (1/3), or rooting from lower nodes (3/3). Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades linear (9), or lanceolate (8), or ovate (1).

Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes single (1), or paired (1), or digitate (1), or borne along a central axis (11); unilateral. Rhachis wingless (7), or narrowly winged (4), or broadly winged (1); foliaceous (1/1); angular (10/10). Spikelet packing abaxial (9/9); contiguous (11), or lax (1); 1 -rowed (1/11), or 2 -rowed (10/11), or 3 -rowed (5/11), or 4 -rowed (4/11). Spikelets appressed (1/2), or pectinate (1/2); solitary (9), or in pairs (9). Fertile spikelets sessile (2), or sessile and pedicelled (9), or pedicelled (2). Pedicels oblong (1/1).

Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate (2), or elliptic (5), or ovate (6); dorsally compressed; symmetrical (2), or plano-convex (10); 2.5-4.062-6 mm long; falling entire.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate (2), or elliptic (5), or ovate (6); dorsally compressed; symmetrical (2), or plano-convex (10); 2.5-4.062-6 mm long; falling entire.

Glume

Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate (2), or oblong (2), or ovate (5), or oblate (3); clasping (4/4); hyaline (2), or membranous (8), or herbaceous (2); without keels; 0 -veined (2/11), or 1-2 -veined (1/11), or 3 -veined (8/11), or 4 -veined (4/11), or 5 -veined (6/11). Lower glume lateral veins absent (1), or distinct (11). Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent (3), or pilose (1); without hair tufts, or with a dorsal tuft of hair (2). Lower glume apex truncate (3), or obtuse (7), or acute (6), or acuminate (1). Upper glume lanceolate (1), or elliptic (5), or ovate (6); membranous (9), or herbaceous (1), or cartilaginous (1), or coriaceous (1); without keels; 5 -veined (4), or 6 -veined (2), or 7 -veined (8), or 8-9 -veined (2), or 10 -veined (1), or 11 -veined (3). Upper glume lateral veins with cross-veins (2/2). Upper glume surface smooth (10), or spinose (1), or tuberculate (2); glabrous (11), or pubescent (7), or setose (1); with simple hairs (7/8), or tubercle-based hairs (1/8). Upper glume apex obtuse (1), or acute (4), or acuminate (6), or cuspidate (1).

Florets

Basal sterile florets male (8), or barren (6); with palea, or without significant palea (1). Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate (1), or elliptic (5), or ovate (6); 1.2-1.25-1.3 length of fertile lemma; membranous (8), or chartaceous (1), or herbaceous (1), or cartilaginous (1), or coriaceous (1); 5 -veined (10), or 6 -veined (4), or 7 -veined (6); without grooves (11), or sulcate (1); acute (5), or acuminate (5), or cuspidate (2). Palea of lower sterile floret hyaline (9), or becoming indurate on keels at maturity (2), or becoming indurate on flanks at maturity (1). Fertile lemma elliptic (5), or oblong (1), or orbicular (6); dorsally compressed (11/11); not gibbous (11), or gibbous (1); hemispherical (1/1); indurate; without keel; 5 -veined (2/3), or 6 -veined (1/3), or 7 -veined (2/3). Lemma surface smooth (3), or granulose (5), or papillose (2), or reticulate (2); unwrinkled (6), or rugulose (7). Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse (11/11), or acute (1/11); mucronate. Palea not rolled (11), or involute (1); indurate; without keels (1), or 2-keeled (11).

Distribution

Europe (1), or Africa, or Temperate Asia (4), or Tropical Asia (4), or Australasia (3), or Pacific (1), or North America (3), or South America (2).

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips And S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Habit

Annuals or perennials

Leaves

Leaf-blades linear to lanceolate; ligule represented by a line of hairs

Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of racemes borne upon a short common axis; rhachis ± triquetrous, rarely ribbon-like, bearing single or paired spikelets, their lower glume abaxial

Spikelets

Spikelets lanceolate or ovate, plano-convex, cuspidate to acuminate; lower glume mostly shorter than the spikelet; upper glume as long as the spikelet, usually membranous; lower floret ♂ or sterile, its lemma resembling the upper glume, the palea almost as long and usually hyaline; upper lemma coriaceous usually much shorter than the spikelet, obtusely rounded at the tip and mucronate, its margins inrolled and covering only the edges of the palea; upper palea obtuse

Fruits

Caryopsis broadly elliptic to subrotund, strongly flattened.

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Habit

Annual (76), or perennial (46). Rhizomes absent (114), or short (7), or elongated (1). Stolons absent (113), or present (12). Culms erect (20/96), or geniculately ascending (41/96), or decumbent (48/96), or prostrate (12/96), or rambling (5/96), or scandent (1/96); robust (3/18), or slender (13/18), or weak (2/18); 2-49.57-210 cm long; firm (116), or wiry (4), or woody (2); without nodal roots (7/44), or with prop roots (1/44), or rooting from lower nodes (42/44). Culm-internodes terete (3/5), or channelled (2/5), or elliptical in section (1/5). Culm-nodes swollen (1/1). Lateral branches lacking (3/19), or sparse (4/19), or ample (12/19), or fastigiate (3/19), or suffrutescent (1/19). Ligule an eciliate membrane (5), or a ciliolate membrane (6), or a ciliate membrane (12), or a fringe of hairs (98), or absent (3). Leaf-blades persistent, or deciduous at the ligule (1); filiform (2), or linear (72), or lanceolate (75), or elliptic (1), or oblong (2), or ovate (7); membranous (1), or herbaceous (120), or coriaceous (1); stiff (4), or firm (118). Leaf-blade midrib conspicuous (1/1). Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous (37/37).

Inflorescences

Inflorescence a panicle with branches tipped by a raceme (1), or composed of racemes (120), or comprising only a few spikelets (1); terminal (120), or terminal and axillary (2); exserted (117), or embraced at base by subtending leaf (5). Panicle open (1/1). Racemes single (5/120), or paired (1/120), or borne along a central axis (118/120); not compacted (116/118), or in a multilateral false spike (1/118), or in an interrupted false spike (1/118), or in a head (1/118); appressed (8/120), or erect (4/120), or ascending (111/120), or spreading (2/120), or deflexed (2/120); linear (120/121), or oblong (2/121), or globose (1/121); unilateral (120/120); bearing few fertile spikelets (3/121), or many spikelets (118/121); bearing 2-9-30 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis tip without extension (118/119), or filiform (4/119). Rhachis wingless (91/121), or narrowly winged (16/121), or broadly winged (16/121); herbaceous (15/16), or foliaceous (1/16); not appreciably folded (30/31), or folded longitudinally to embrace spikelets (1/31); flattened (1/99), or angular (92/99), or subterete (4/99), or semiterete (2/99); terminating in a spikelet (119/121), or sterile spikelet (2/121). Spikelet packing adaxial (84/85), or abaxial (1/85); crowded (11/121), or contiguous (84/121), or lax (16/121), or distant (10/121); 1 -rowed (17/62), or 2 -rowed (53/62), or 3 -rowed (1/62), or 4 -rowed (2/62). Raceme-bases brief (119/121), or filiform (1/121), or linear (1/121). Spikelets appressed (3/7), or ascending (1/7), or spreading (1/7), or pectinate (2/7); solitary (87), or in pairs (59), or in threes (2), or clustered at each node (3). Fertile spikelets sessile (33), or sessile and pedicelled (17), or pedicelled (73); 1 in the cluster (1/5), or 2 in the cluster (5/5), or 3-4 in the cluster (3/5). Pedicels filiform (8/60), or linear (32/60), or oblong (22/60), or reduced to a stump (1/60); tip oblique (3/9), or widened (1/9), or discoid (4/9), or cupuliform (1/9).

Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension (121), or with a barren rhachilla extension (1). Spikelets linear (1), or lanceolate (7), or elliptic (75), or oblong (16), or ovate (24), or orbicular (3), or obovate (9); laterally compressed (1), or dorsally compressed (121); symmetrical (114), or gibbous (1), or turgidly plano-convex (3), or plano-convex (4); 1.494-3.466-8.5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus brief (96), or square (14), or oblong (10), or cuneate (2), or linear (1); free from lower glume (112), or incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume (10); pubescent (3/4), or pilose (1/4); base pungent (3/3); attached obliquely (2/2). Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile floret (91), or elongated between glumes (31), or elongated below proximal fertile floret (2). Rhachilla elongation stout (2/2).

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension (121), or with a barren rhachilla extension (1). Spikelets linear (1), or lanceolate (7), or elliptic (75), or oblong (16), or ovate (24), or orbicular (3), or obovate (9); laterally compressed (1), or dorsally compressed (121); symmetrical (114), or gibbous (1), or turgidly plano-convex (3), or plano-convex (4); 1.494-3.466-8.5 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus brief (96), or square (14), or oblong (10), or cuneate (2), or linear (1); free from lower glume (112), or incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume (10); pubescent (3/4), or pilose (1/4); base pungent (3/3); attached obliquely (2/2). Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile floret (91), or elongated between glumes (31), or elongated below proximal fertile floret (2). Rhachilla elongation stout (2/2).

Glume

Glumes shorter than spikelet (4), or reaching apex of florets (118); thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate (4), or elliptic (2), or oblong (9), or ovate (96), or orbicular (5), or oblate (3), or obovate (4); clasping (58/58); hyaline (8/121), or membranous (112/121), or cartilaginous (1/121); without keels; 0-5-15 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent (14), or obscure (2), or distinct (107), or prominent (1); without ribs (109/110), or ribbed (1/110). Lower glume surface convex (121), or grooved on either side of midvein (1); smooth (121), or scabrous (1); glabrous (89), or puberulous (3), or pubescent (21), or pilose (6), or hirsute (1), or villous (6), or hispidulous (1); without hair tufts, or with a dorsal tuft of hair (1). Lower glume apex emarginate (1), or truncate (4), or obtuse (53), or acute (75), or acuminate (9). Upper glume elliptic (24), or oblong (43), or ovate (51), or obovate (4); 1.2-1.481-2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous (117), or chartaceous (1), or cartilaginous (4); without keels; 3-6-13 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins without ribs (120), or ribbed (2); without cross-veins (1/19), or transversely connected at apex (2/19), or with cross-veins (17/19). Upper glume surface smooth (120), or scabrous (1), or tuberculate (1); glabrous (70), or puberulous (4), or pubescent (47), or pilose (9), or hirsute (1), or villous (8), or hispidulous (1), or setose (1); with simple hairs (65/68), or tubercle-based hairs (2/68), or clavate hairs (1/68); without hair tufts (110), or with marginal tufts of hair (1), or with transverse tufts of hair (1), or with a transverse fringe of hair (12). Upper glume apex obtuse (34/119), or acute (73/119), or acuminate (12/119), or cuspidate (3/119), or rostrate (2/119); muticous (121), or mucronate (1).

Florets

Basal sterile florets male (70), or barren (63); with palea (103), or without significant palea (21). Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic (20), or oblong (42), or ovate (56), or obovate (4); 2.1-2.3-2.5 length of fertile lemma; membranous (115/121), or chartaceous (1/121), or cartilaginous (5/121), or coriaceous (2/121); 3-5-13 -veined; without ribs (120), or ribbed (2); without grooves (113), or sulcate (9); obtuse (28/117), or acute (80/117), or acuminate (9/117), or cuspidate (4/117), or rostrate (1/117); muticous (120), or mucronate (1), or awned (3). Palea of lower sterile floret wingless (102/103), or winged on keels (1/103). Fertile lemma lanceolate (4/121), or elliptic (93/121), or oblong (12/121), or ovate (14/121), or obovate (1/121); dorsally compressed (1/1); not gibbous (120), or gibbous (2); hemispherical (1/1); chartaceous (3), or cartilaginous (1), or coriaceous (2), or indurate (117); without keel (121), or keeled (1); 3 -veined (2/10), or 5 -veined (8/10). Lemma lateral veins obscure (1/1). Lemma surface smooth (72), or granulose (21), or papillose (12), or striate (19), or punctate (2), or pitted (1); unwrinkled (67), or rugulose (37), or rugose (21), or corrugate (3). Lemma margins flat (1), or involute (121); exposing palea (121), or covering most of palea (1). Lemma apex obtuse (43/115), or acute (50/115), or apiculate (25/115), or rostrate (2/115); without ornament (118), or laterally pinched (2), or pubescent (3); muticous (106), or mucronate (19), or awned (2); 1 -awned (1/1). Principal lemma awn limb glabrous (18/19), or puberulous (1/19). Palea not rolled (3), or involute (119); 1 length of lemma; membranous (1), or chartaceous (3), or cartilaginous (1), or coriaceous (2), or indurate (116); without keels (117), or 2-keeled (5).

Flowers

Lodicules 2 (4/4); fleshy (1/1). Anthers 3 (27/27).

Fruits

Caryopsis with adherent pericarp (9/9); ellipsoid (8/11), or oblong (1/11), or ovoid (2/11), or orbicular (1/11). Embryo 0.5-0.6525-0.75 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform (2/6), or elliptic (4/6), or linear (2/6); 0.25-0.29-0.33 length of caryopsis.

Distribution

Europe (1), or Africa (80), or Temperate Asia (22), or Tropical Asia (27), or Australasia (25), or Pacific (10), or North America (19), or South America (23).

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora Zambesiaca 10:3. 1989

Inflorescences

Inflorescence of racemes along a central axis (this branched in B. malacodes), the spikelets single and adaxial, paired, or rarely in fascicles.

Spikelets

Spikelets ovate to oblong, plump, obtuse to acute, sometimes the lowest internode elongated and then often accrescent to the sheathing base of the inferior glume to form a short stipe.

Glume

Inferior glume mostly shorter than spikelet.

Lemma

Inferior lemma awnless, rarely (B. nigropedata, B. serrata) with an awn-point up to 1 mm. long. Superior lemma filling the spikelet, coriaceous to crustaceous, obtuse to acute, rarely mucronate.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips And S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Habit

Annuals or perennials

Leaves

Leaf-blades linear to lanceolate; ligule represented by a line of hairs

Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of racemes borne upon a common axis; rhachis triquetrous to ribbon-like, bearing single or sometimes paired spikelets, their lower glume adaxial

Spikelets

Spikelets ovate to oblong, plump, obtuse to acute, sometimes the lowest internode elongated, then often accrescent to the sheathing base of the lower glume and forming a short stipe; lower glume mostly shorter than the spikelet; upper glume as long as the spikelet, membranous or herbaceous; lower floret ♂ or sterile, its lemma resembling the upper glume; upper lemma coriaceous to crustaceous, obtuse to acute, usually muticous, its margins inrolled and covering only the edges of the palea; upper palea obtuse to subacute, its tip tucked within the lemma

Fruits

Caryopsis elliptic, dorsally compressed.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Habit

Annual or perennial; leaves linear to lanceolate

Inflorescences

Inflorescence of racemes along a central axis, the rhachis filiform to ribbon-like

Spikelets

Spikelets single or paired, rarely in fascicles or secondary racemelets, sessile or pedicelled, adaxial, plump, sometimes the lowest internode elongated and accrescent to the sheathing base of the lower glume and forming a short stipe; lower glume shorter than the spikelet; lower floret male or barren; upper lemma coriaceous to crustaceous, obtuse to acute, occasionally mucronate, its margins inrolled and covering only the edges of the palea; upper palea obtuse to subacute, its tip tucked within the lemma

Fruits

Caryopsis elliptic, dorsally compressed.

Distribution

Some 80-100 species in the tropics, mainly in the Old World.