Urochloa glumaris (Trin.) Veldkamp

Map

Inflorescence

Plant

Habit

Spikelets

Node

Collar

Description

Annual. Culms slender, spreading, branching and rooting at lower nodes, 20–60 cm or more tall, nodes pubescent. Leaf sheaths glabrous or loosely pilose; leaf blades linear, 5– 20 × 0.3–0.8 cm, thinly pilose on both surfaces with tubercle-based hairs, apex acuminate; ligule ca. 1 mm. Inflorescence axis 1.5–4 cm; racemes 2–4, 2–5 cm, rather stiffly ascending; rachis narrow, triquetrous, scabrous; spikelets usually paired, loosely overlapping. Spikelets lanceolate, 3.5–4 mm, glabrous, sharply acute; lower glume lanceolate, 2/3–3/4 spikelet length, 5–7-veined, acute and apiculate; upper glume 5–7- veined, sharply acute; lower lemma obscurely 5-veined, palea very small; upper lemma elliptic-oblong, only slightly shorter than spikelet, finely rugulose, mucro 0.4–0.5 mm. Fl. and fr. May–Oct. 2n = 36.
(Description source: Wu, Z.Y., Raven, P.H. & Hong, D.Y. (eds.). 2006. Flora of China. Volume 22. Poaceae. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis. 733 pp. )

Habit Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15-40 cm long. Culm-nodes bearded. Leaf-sheaths outer margin hairy. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 5-20 cm long; 3-8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; pilose. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Inflorescences Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 3-4; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2.5-6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2-9 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; ciliate on margins. Spikelet packing abaxial; lax; irregular; 1-2 -rowed. Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled. Pedicels pubescent. Spikelets Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; compressed moderately; symmetrical; acute; 3.5-4 mm long; falling entire. Fertile Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; compressed moderately; symmetrical; acute; 3.5-4 mm long; falling entire. Glume Glumes similar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.75-0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume apex acute. Florets Basal sterile florets barren; with palea, or without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume; elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3-3.5 mm long; indurate; without keel; 5 -veined. Lemma surface rugulose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse; mucronate. Principal lemma awn 0.5 mm long overall. Palea indurate. Distribution Africa: western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, and northwestern.
(Description source: Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. Available at https://powo.science.kew.org )