Urochloa plantaginea (Link)

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 : 231

27. Urochloa plantaginea (Link) R.D. Webster in Syst. Bot. 13: 607. 1988.

Panicum plantagineum Link, Hort. Berol. 1: 206. 1827 [non P. plantagineum Schumach. , 1827] [nom. illeg.].

Brachiaria plantaginea (Link) Hitchc. in Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 212. 1909. Holotypus: [ BRAZIL]: cultivated in the Berlin Botanical Gardens, Anon. s.n. (B [ B 10 0367300] image!; iso-: HAL [ HAL0082173 ] image!, US [ US00139874 fragm.]!).

Loosely tufted stoloniferous perennial, ascending to erect, 0.4–1 m high, culms weakly branched, rooting at lower nodes, glabrous. Leaf sheath glabrous. Ligule a line of hairs. Leaf blade lanceolate, chartaceous, 4–21 × 0.6–1.3 cm, glabrous to pubescent on both sides. Inflorescence racemose, stout, open, 10– 30 cm long. Racemes 2–8, 2– 11 cm long, gently curved, roughly even in length, on a common axis 10–20 cm long, with no secondary branching, rhachis winged, 1–2 mm wide, scaberulous, spikelets imbricate, single, subsessile, in 2 rows. Spikelets elliptic, apically acute, 4–5.5 mm long, yellowish. Lower glume ¼– ⅓ as long as spikelet, membranous, clasping, obtuse to acute, 3–5-veined, glabrous, separated from rest of spikelet by an internode c. 0.5 mm long, turned towards rhachis. Upper glume as long as spikelet, membranous, 5–7-veined, glabrous. Lower floret infertile or male, palea ⅔ to as long as lemma. Lower lemma membranous, 5-veined, glabrous. Upper lemma subacute, rugulose, sometimes with a minute mucro.

Distribution and ecology. – This highly competitive weedy grass from South America has been introduced to North America and to West Africa. A single collection is known from Madagascar (F ig. 16).

Notes. – Urochloa plantaginea (Link) R.D. Webster appears similar to U. arrecta but has a significantly larger spikelet.

The illegitimate homonym Panicum plantagineum Schumach. is a synonym of the easy to distinguish P. brevifolium L.

Additional specimen examined. – MADAGASCAR. Reg. Sofia [Prov. Mahajanga]: Bealanana , Betainkankana, Ankaizina, V.1952, Bosser 2803 ( P).