Urochloa distachya (L.) Nguyen. Novit.
Syst. Pl.
Vasc., Acad. Sci. URSS, 1966, 13 (1966).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Panicum
distachyon L., Mant. Pl. 2: 183–184 (1771).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: Koenig s.n., India (LINN-80.41; IT:
L-908.92–1790).
Recent synonyms:
Brachiaria distachya.
Key references
(books and floras): [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (478 as Panicum
distachyum), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia (as Brachiaria).
Habit. Annual
or perennial. Stolons present. Culms prostrate, 5–20 cm tall. Mid-culm
internodes pubescent. Mid-culm nodes glabrous or pubescent. Ligule a fringe of hairs.
Leaf-blades linear or lanceolate, 1.8–12 cm long, 3–9 mm wide. Leaf-blade
surface glabrous or indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of racemes. Racemes 2–3, 1–3.5 cm long, 2–2.5
mm wide. Central inflorescence axis 0.15–2 cm long.
Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile. Fertile spikelets 2-flowered, the lower floret barren
(rarely male), the upper fertile, comprising 1 basal sterile florets,
comprising 1 fertile floret(s), without rachilla extension, elliptic, dorsally
compressed, 2.4–3.7 mm long. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without
keels, 5–9 -nerved. Upper glume oblong, 3–3.5 mm long, membranous, without
keels, 5–7 -nerved. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex muticous. Florets.
Basal sterile florets 1, barren, with palea or without significant palea. Lemma
of lower sterile floret 100 % of length of spikelet, membranous, 5 -nerved.
Fertile florets bisexual.
Fertile lemma 2–2.8 mm
long, without keel. Lemma apex muticous. Palea without keels.
Continental
Distribution: Africa, Tropical Asia, Australasia, and Pacific.
Australian
Distribution: Northern Territory, Queensland.
Northern Territory:
Darwin & Gulf. Queensland: Cook, North Kennedy, South Kennedy, Port
Curtis, Moreton, Mitchell.
Notes.
Native; N.T. and Qld. Flowers Jan.-Aug.
