Urochloa mutica* (Forsk.) Nguyen. Fl.
Trop. Afr. 9: 526 (1919).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Panicum muticum
Forssk., Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. 20 (1775).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: Egypt:
Rosettae (Rashid), 2–6 Nov. 1761, Forsskal 86 (HT: C).
Recent synonyms:
Brachiaria mutica.
Key references
(books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia
(as Brachiaria), [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses
of New South Wales (395).
Illustrations:
[2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South
Wales, 4th edn (395).
Habit. Perennial. Rhizomes absent. Stolons present. Culms sprawling,
25–125 cm tall. Mid-culm internodes glabrous. Mid-culm nodes pubescent. Ligule
a fringed membrane or a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blades 6–30 cm long, 3–15 mm
wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous or indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of racemes. Racemes 5–20, 2–13 cm long, 4–6
mm wide. Central inflorescence axis 7–30 cm long.
Spikelets.
Spikelets sessile and pedicelled, 2 in the cluster. 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, 2.5–3.5 mm long. Rhachilla internodes
brief up to lowest fertile floret.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without
keels, 0–5 -nerved. Upper glume oblong, 2.7–3.4 mm long, membranous, without
keels, 5–7 -nerved. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex muticous. Florets.
Basal sterile florets 1, male, with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 100 %
of length of spikelet, membranous, 5 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 2–3 mm
long, without keel. Lemma apex muticous or mucronate. Palea without keels.
Continental
Distribution: Africa, Temperate Asia, Tropical Asia, Australasia, Pacific,
North America, and South America.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland,
New South Wales, Cocos Keeling Is, Ashmore
Reef, Coral Sea Is.
Western Australia: Gardner, Hall.
Drummond. Northern Territory:
Darwin & Gulf. Queensland: Burnett,
Cook, Gregory North, Moreton, North Kennedy, Port Curtis, South Kennedy,
Warrego, Wide Bay. New South
Wales: North
Coast.
Notes.
Diagnostic features include the presence of pronounced stolons, glabrous
spikelets and hairy leaves.
Introduced. A native
of tropical South America or Africa, and
widely introduced in tropical areas for improved pastures. In tropical heaths,
tropical and subtropical rain forests, tropical and subtropical wet sclerophyll
forests, tropical and subtropical sub-humid woodlands, arid tussock grasslands,
and coastal grasslands. Flowers sporadically throughout the year but mostly
Nov.-May.
