Urochloa ramosa

Vorontsova, Maria S., 2022, Revision of some Malagasy forage grasses and their relatives within Brachiaria, Echinochloa, Moorochloa, and Urochloa, Candollea 77 (2), pp. 199-236 : 232

29. Urochloa ramosa (L.) T.Q. Nguyen in Novosti Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 1966: 13. 1966.

Panicum ramosum L., Mant. Pl. 1: 29. 1767. Brachiaria ramosa (L.) Stapf in Oliv., F l. Trop. Afr. 9: 542. 1919.

Lectotypus (designated by Cope in NASIR & ALI, 1982: 207): [ INDIA]: cultivated in Uppsala (Sweden), Anon. s.n. ( LINN-HL nº 80–44 image!) .

Loosely tufted annual, ascending to erect, 0.1– 0.7 m high, culms weakly branched, glabrous. Leaf sheath glabrous to pubescent. Ligule a line of hairs. Leaf blade lanceolate, chartaceous, 2 – 25 × 0.4– 1.4 cm, glabrous to pubescent on both sides. Inflorescence racemose, open, 6 –15 cm long. Racemes 3–15, 1–8 cm long, flexuous, decreasing in length upwards, on a common axis 3–10 cm long, sometimes with small secondary branches at base, rhachis triquetrous, scaberulous, spikelets mostly not overlapping with adjacent spikelets, single, on pedicels of uneven length, pedicels shorter than spikelets, subtended by white cilia. Spikelets broadly elliptic, plump, apiculate, 2.5–3.5 mm long, yellowish. Lower glume ⅓–½ as long as spikelet, membranous, clasping, obtuse to acute, 5–7-veined, cross veins visible, glabrous, sometimes separated from rest of spikelet by an internode c. 0.5 mm long, orientation relative to rhachis variable. Upper glume almost as long as spikelet, membranous, 5–7-veined, cross veins visible, glabrous or sometimes pubescent. Lower floret infertile, palea ⅔–¾ as long as lemma. Lower lemma membranous or somerimes coriaceous, 5-veined, cross veins sometimes visible, glabrous or sometimes pubescent. Upper lemma subacute to acute, rugose.

Distribution and ecology. – The origin of this African and Asian grass in Madagascar remains unknown. In Madagascar it occurs largely in the west; open grassland, cultivation, roadsides, and seashores, at low elevations (F ig. 17).

Notes. – Urochloa ramosa can be recognised by its plump spikelets. Its racemes appear to have a “messy-looking” arrangement due to paired spikelets with pedicels of different lengths partly overlapping: this is similar to the “messy” racemes of U. nana , U. reptans , and U. mutica but unlike the more “tidy-looking” racemes of U. distachyos and U. arrecta where pedicels are uniform. According to CLAYTON & RENVOIZE (1982) and CLAYTON (1989), U. ramosa is doubtfully distinct from U. deflexa ; the two indeed look similar, but U. ramosa can be distinguished by its shorter pedicels.

According to the Linnean typification project [https:// www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/linnaean-typification]: “The typification of this name is attributable to Cope (June 1982), who published it some months ahead of Clayton & Renvoize (in Polhill, F l. Trop. E. Africa, Gramineae 3: 599. 5 November 1982).”

Selected specimens examined. – MADAGASCAR. Reg. Alaotra-Mangoro [Prov. Toamasina]: Ambatovy forest, Analamay , 1.III.2005, Antilahimena & Razafindasy 3511 ( P) ; Alaotra Lake , Herbier de la Station Agricole de l’ Alaotra 27014 ( P) . Reg. Androy [Prov. Toliara]: Ambovombe-Androy, Talaky centre, c. 3 km from Ambovombe town to southeast, 17.III.2019, Rakotomalala et al. 302 ( K, TAN) . Reg. Atsimo-Andrefana [Prov. Toliara]: Tulear, Perrier de la Bâthie 131 ( K) . Reg. Boeny [Prov. Mahajanga]: Mahajanga ville, Pointe du Caïman , 12. I.1929, Humbert 7155 ( P) . Reg. AIANA [Prov. Antsiranana]: extrême nord du Cap d’Ambre , VIII.1955, Gillard s.n. ( P) ; chemins près d’Antsirane , 13.IX.1912, Viguier & Humbert 140 ( P) . Reg. Sofia [Prov. Mahajanga]: Mampikony to Ambanja , Analamisakana area , 21.II.2015, Vorontsova et al. 1764 ( K, TAN) .