Poaceae
Urochloa

Urochloa arrecta (Hack. ex T.Durand & Schinz) Morrone & Zuloaga

First published in Darwiniana 31: 69 (1992)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Ethiopia to S. Africa, Madagascar. It is a perennial or helophyte and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is has environmental uses and as animal food and a poison.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 1500–2000 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: savanna, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 1500 - 2000 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
[CPLC]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
braquipará
[UNAL]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms rambling; 30-130 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5-25 cm long; 5-15 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 4-15; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1-10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 5-25 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; 0.5-1.5 mm wide; scabrous on margins; glabrous on margins. Spikelet packing adaxial; regular; 2 -rowed. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 3-4.3 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile floret.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; acute; 3-4.3 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest fertile floret.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.33-0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5-7 -veined. 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; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5-4 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; muticous, or mucronate. Palea involute; indurate; without keels.
Distribution
Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.
Reference
Paniceae. FTEA.
[GB]

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

Morphology General Habit
Sprawling perennial; culms 50–130 cm. high, prostrate and rooting at the nodes below.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades 5–25 cm. long, 5–15 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of 4–15 racemes on an axis 5–25 cm. long; racemes 1–10 cm. long, bearing the spikelets singly in 2 regular rows on a narrow (0.5–1.5 mm. wide) winged rhachis with scabrid margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets elliptic, 3–4.3 mm. long, glabrous, acute; lower glume 1/3–1/2 as long as the spikelet; upper glume not separated from the lower by an internode; upper lemma rugulose, obtuse, ± an obscure mucro.
Habitat
In swamps and by water; 600–1800 m.
Distribution
tropical and South Africaintroduced to tropical America K4 K5 T1 T2 T3 T4 U1 U2 U3 U4
[FTEA]

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

Morphology General Habit
Sprawling perennial.
Morphology Culms
Culms 50–130 cm. high, prostrate and rooting at the nodes below.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf laminae 5–15 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence of 4–15 racemes, these 1–10 cm. long, bearing spikelets singly in two neat rows on a flat rhachis 0.5–1.5 mm. wide with scabrid margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 3–4.5 mm. long, glabrous, acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Inferior glume 1/3–1/2 length of spikelet, arising immediately below the superior.
Inferior
Inferior glume 1/3–1/2 length of spikelet, arising immediately below the superior.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma
Superior lemma rugulose.
Superior
Superior lemma rugulose.
[FZ]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0