Urochloa pubigera (R. & S.) R.D.
Webster. Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland
81: 5 (1969).
Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Panicum
pubigerum Roem. & Schult., Syst. Veg. 2: 460 (1817); Panicum
pubescens R. Br., Prodr. 190 (1810), non Lam. (1798).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: LT: R. Brown 6111, Australia: Northern
Territory: Pobasso
Island (BM; IT: BRI, E,
K, MEL). LT designated by ?; cited by Veldkamp, Blumea 41: 426 (1996).
Recent synonyms:
B. ramosa var. grandiflora, Brachiaria pubigera.
Key references
(books and floras): [1810]. R.Brown, Prodromus (190 as Panicum
pubescens), [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia
(as Brachiaria).
Habit. Annual.
Rhizomes absent. Stolons absent. Culms decumbent, 20–60 cm tall, 3–6 -noded.
Mid-culm internodes pubescent. Mid-culm nodes pubescent. Ligule a fringe of
hairs, 0.7–1 mm long. Leaf-blades linear or lanceolate, 3–18 cm long, 4–16 mm
wide. Leaf-blade surface indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence compound, a panicle of racemes. Racemes 4–10, 3–9 cm long, 2–3 mm
wide, bearing 8–30 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 6–18
cm long.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled. 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 or
obovate, dorsally compressed, 3.5–4.6 mm long. Rhachilla internodes elongated
between glumes.
Glumes.
Glumes dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous,
without keels, 7–9 -nerved. Lower glume surface glabrous or indumented. Upper
glume elliptic, 3.1–4.2 mm long, membranous, without keels, 5–7 -nerved. Upper
glume surface indumented. Upper glume apex mucronate. Florets. Basal
sterile florets 1, barren, with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret 100 % of
length of spikelet, membranous or cartilaginous, 5–7 -nerved.
Fertile lemma 2.5–3.2
mm long, without keel. Lemma apex mucronate. Palea without keels. Anthers 3.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland.
Western Australia: Gardner, Hall,
Dampier. Northern Territory:
Darwin & Gulf, Barkly Tableland. Queensland:
Cook, North Kennedy, South Kennedy, Leichhardt, Mitchell, Warrego.
Notes.
Diagnostic features includes spikelet length, the acuminate apex of the upper
glume and lower lemma, and relative length of the callus at the spikelet base.
In tropical and
subtropical rain forests, tropical and subtropical sub-humid woodlands, arid
and semi-arid low woodlands, and coastal grasslands. Native to Australia and
Malesia. Further work may show that it occurs through India and tropical Africa.
Flowers mostly Jan.-June.
