Panic Liverseed Grass

Urochloa setigera can be confused with forms of U. panicoides with pubescent, paired spikelets, especially when the base is missing. Urochloa panicoides has less abruptly cuspidate spikelets, a more coarsely rugose fertile floret, and a much longer mucro on the upper lemma.

In common with several other species of the genus, Urochloa panicoides has forms with glabrous, pubescent or setosely fringed spikelets; they appear to be of no taxonomic importance.

This is an excellent fodder grass for both cattle and horses, ascending to about 1500 m,mainly in cultivated land.

Annual. Culms loosely tufted, geniculately ascending, 20–80 cm tall, nodes bearded. Leaf sheaths loose, with tubercle-based setae, one margin densely ciliate; leaf blades linear-lanceolate, 5–15(–20) × 0.5–1.5 cm, glabrous to thinly pilose, margins pectinate-ciliate at least toward amplexicaul base, apex acuminate; ligule 1.5–2 mm. Inflorescence axis 3–6 cm; racemes 3–10, 2–6 cm, stiff, diverging; rachis flattened, setose mainly from the short stout pedicels; spikelets usually borne singly or in pairs at base, occasionally mostly paired, overlapping by ca. 1/3 their length. Spikelets ovate-elliptic, 4–5 mm, glabrous or pubescent, cuspidate; lower glume ovate,1/4–1/3 spikelet length, 3–5-veined, obtuse; upper glume 5–9-veined with evident cross veins; upper lemma rugose, mucro 0.4–1 mm. Fl. and fr. Sep–Oct.

Tufted annual; culms 10-100 cm high, often ascending from prostrate rooting base. Leaf-blades linear to narrowly lanceolate, 2-15 cm long, 5-15 mm wide, subamplexicaul, coarse, glabrous or pubescent, the margins tuberculate-ciliate at least near the base. Inflorescence of 2-7 (-10 or rarely more) racemes on a common axis 1-6 cm long; racemes 1-6 cm long, bearing single or sometimes paired spikelets on a narrowly winged rhachis, the pedicels (sometimes also the rhachis) with white hairs. Spikelets elliptic, (2.5-) 3.5-4.5 (-5) mm long, acute; lower glume ovate, a quarter to almost half as long as the spikelet, very rarely more, 3-5-nerved, obtuse to subacute; upper glume often with crossveins, glabrous or pubescent lower lemma sometimes with a setose fringe; upper lemma rugulose with a mucro 0.3-1 mm long.

Africa, Nepal, India.

Distribution: Pakistan (Punjab, N.W.F.P. & Kashmir); Sudan to Yemen and south-wards to South Africa: India; introduced to Australia.

700 m

Fl. & Fr. Per.: July-September.

Moist grasslands, lakesides. Sichuan, Yunnan [Bhutan, India; E and S Africa].

Panicum panicoides (P. Beauvois) Hitchcock; Urochloa jinshaicola B. S. Sun & Z. H. Hu; U. longifolia B. S. Sun & Z. H. Hu; U. longifolia var. yuanmuensis (B. S. Sun & Z. H. Hu) S. L. Chen & Y. X. Jin; U. yuanmuensis B. S. Sun & Z. H. Hu.