Urochloa oligotricha

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths woolly. Culms 60–100 cm long. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 10–40 cm long; 5–20 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 6–20; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 3–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 5–10 cm long. Rhachis angular; glabrous on surface, or with scattered hairs. Spikelet packing abaxial; irregular; 2–4 -rowed.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled, or sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; compressed strongly; plano-convex; acuminate; 3.5–5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; 0.66–0.75 length of spikelet; herbaceous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets male; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; glabrous, or pubescent; eciliate on margins, or setose on margins; acuminate. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2 mm long; indurate; without keel. Lemma surface granulose; rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0.3–0.5 mm long overall. Palea indurate.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.