Urochloa texana

(Buckley) R.D. Webster
Common names: Texas signalgrass Texas millet
Synonyms: Panicum texanum Brachiaria texana
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 25. Treatment on page 495.

Plants annual. Culms (20) 40-200 cm, erect or decumbent; nodes puberulent; internodes pubescent, at least below the nodes. Sheaths usually with papillose-based hairs, margins shortly ciliate; collars pubescent; ligules 1-1.8 mm; blades 7-24 cm long, 5-20 mm wide, softly pubescent on both surfaces, margins ciliate basally, scabrous distally. Panicles 8-24 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, with spikelike primary branches in more than 2 ranks; primary branches 1-8 cm long, 0.3-0.4 mm wide, appressed to ascending, axes triquetrous, pubescent, with some papillose-based hairs; secondary branches present on the lower branches, short, appressed; pedicels shorter than the spikelets, usually with papillose-based hairs distally. Spikelets 4.8-6 mm long, 1.8-2 mm wide, mostly paired, in 2-4 rows, appressed to the branches. Glumes scarcely separate, rachilla internodes short, not pronounced; lower glumes 2.4-3.2 mm, to 1/2 as long as the spikelets, 5-7-veined, glabrous or sparsely pubescent distally; upper glumes 4-5.5 mm, glabrous or sparsely pilose, 7-9-veined; lower florets staminate (sterile); lower lemmas 4.7-6 mm, glabrous or sparsely pilose, 5-veined; lower paleas present; upper lemmas 3.6-4.1 mm long, 1.7-1.9 mm wide, apices acute, beaked; anthers (1.6) 2.2-2.7 mm. Caryopses 2-3 mm; hilas linear, about 1/2 as long as the caryopses. 2n = 54.

Distribution

Va., Mass., Miss., Tex., La., Calif., N.C., Ala., Kans., Ark., N.Mex., Ga., S.C., Okla., Ky., Ariz., Fla., Mo., Md.

Discussion

Urochloa texana grows in sandy, moist soils from the southern United States to northern Mexico. Populations in the United States outside of Texas may represent relatively recent introductions.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"decumbent" is not a number.

... more about "Urochloa texana"
1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br /> (?) +
0.22 cm2.2 mm <br />0.0022 m <br /> (0.27 cm2.7 mm <br />0.0027 m <br />) +
anatomy +  and kranz +
J.K. Wipff +  and Rahmona A. Thompson +
(Buckley) R.D. Webster +
1 (?) +  and 3 (?) +
triquetrous +
keeled +  and rounded +
pseudopetiolate +  and branching +
divergent +  and parallel +
intravaginal +, extravaginal +, branching +  and basal +
swelling +
membranous +
disarticulating +  and pseudopetiolate +
non-radiate +  and radiate +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (24 cm240 mm <br />0.24 m <br />) +
ovatelanceolate +  and lanceolate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
spikelike +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
not developed +
compressed +, ovoid +  and elliptic +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
sometimes longer +
Texas signalgrass +  and Texas millet +
decumbent +  and erect +
geniculate +
40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br /> (200 cm2,000 mm <br />2 m <br />) +
Va. +, Mass. +, Miss. +, Tex. +, La. +, Calif. +, N.C. +, Ala. +, Kans. +, Ark. +, N.Mex. +, Ga. +, S.C. +, Okla. +, Ky. +, Ariz. +, Fla. +, Mo. +  and Md. +
1/2 +  and 3/4 +
capillary +
germination +
pistillate +  and staminate +
sometimes longer +
compressed +  and terete +
shorter or longer +
subtending +
unequal +
membranous +
papillose-based +
uncinate +
bracteate +  and ebracteate +
solid +  and hollow +
cauline +  and basal +
coriaceous +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
membranous +
inconspicuous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
0.24 cm2.4 mm <br />0.0024 m <br /> (0.32 cm3.2 mm <br />0.0032 m <br />) +
pilose +  and glabrous +
0.47 cm4.7 mm <br />0.0047 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
complex +  and simple +
concealed +  and prominent +
puberulent +
2 +  and 1 +
8cm +  and 24cm +
subterranean +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
dry +  and fleshy +
verticillate +, subopposite +  and alternate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
appressed;ascending +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br />) +
2 +  and 4 +
pedicellate +  and subsessile +
well-developed +
0.48 cm4.8 mm <br />0.0048 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
1 +  and 60 +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
compressed +, ovoid +  and ellipsoid +
1.8mm +  and 2mm +
1 +  and 3 +
fused +  and free +
2 +  and 3 +
dome--shaped +  and triangular +
Panicum texanum +  and Brachiaria texana +
Urochloa texana +
Urochloa +
species +
membranous +
not disarticulating +, sessile +  and (0)1-11-veined +
acuminate +, mucronate +, planoconvex +, ovoid +  and ellipsoid +
pilose +  and glabrous +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br />) +
0.36 cm3.6 mm <br />0.0036 m <br /> (0.41 cm4.1 mm <br />0.0041 m <br />) +
verrucose +  and rugose +
1.7mm +  and 1.9mm +
lustrous +  and shiny +
aquatic +  and terrestrial +
dioecious +, monoecious +  and synoecious +
10 +, 9 +, 8 +  and 7 +