Poaceae
Urochloa

Urochloa lindiensis (Pilg.) Oulo, Zon & Sosef

First published in Blumea 68: 78 (2023)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is E. Kenya to E. Tanzania. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 30-60 cm long; wiry. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades ovate; 4-7 cm long; 7-13 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade margins serrulate (towards base).
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes; terminal and axillary. Racemes 1-4; single, or borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1-3 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1-3 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing adaxial; distant; irregular. Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 4-6 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus oblong; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; 0.7 mm long. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 4-6 mm long; falling entire. Spikelet callus oblong; incorporating lowest rhachilla internode with adnate lower glume; 0.7 mm long. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; clasping; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume surface pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 9 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3.5-5 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex acute. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.
Distribution
Africa: east tropical.
Reference
Paniceae. FTEA.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Tufted perennial; culms 30–60 cm. high, wiry, sometimes decumbent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades narrowly ovate, 4–7 cm. long, 7–13 mm. wide, stiff, the margins serrulate towards the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence often axillary, comprising 1–4 racemes on an axis up to 3 cm. long; racemes up to 3 cm. long, bearing single or paired spikelets distant along a triquetrous rhachis.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets elliptic, 4–6 mm. long, thinly pubescent, acute, supported by a short stipe ± 0.7 mm. long; lower glume 1/2 the length of the spikelet, clasping, separated from the upper by a short internode; upper lemma granulose, acute.
Habitat
In shade of open forest; 0–250 m.
Distribution
not known elsewhere K7 T6 T8
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0