Common name: Signal Grass
Urochloa decumbens (Stapf) R.D.Webster APNI* Synonyms: Brachiaria decumbens Stapf APNI*
Description: Stoloniferous perennial with culms to 1.5 m long.
Leaves with sheath with tubercle-based hairs to glabrous; ligule a row of hairs or a ciliolate membrane, c. 1 mm long; blade 3–10 mm wide, with tubercle-based hairs to glabrous.
Racemes 2 or 3, 5–8 cm long, lowermost portion with 1 or more aborted spikelets. Spikelets 3.5–6 mm long, in 1 or more rows along the raceme, hairy to glabrous. Lower glume 45–70% the length of the spikelet, glabrous or sometimes hairy, asymmetric, 5–9-nerved; upper glabrous to pilose on the upper 30%, 5–7-nerved. Lower lemma male or sterile, 3–5-nerved, glabrous with a few hairs near the apex. Palea hyaline, sometimes absent. Fertile floret 3–4.5 mm long, lemma glabrous, rugulose-striate. Palea finely punctulate-striolate.
Flowering: summer.
Distribution and occurrence: An escape from cultivation. Native of Afr.
NSW subdivisions: *NC
Other Australian states: *Qld *W.A.
Text by S. W. L. Jacobs & C. A. Wall
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993) and Grasses of New South Wales, Fourth Edition (2008).
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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