Common name: Sabi Grass
Urochloa mosambicensis (Hack.) Dandy APNI*
Description: Hairy perennial to 1 m high.
Leaves with sheath with spreading tubercle-based hairs, rarely almost glabrous; ligule membranous with ciliate margins, 1.5–2 mm long; blade to 11 mm wide, with tubercle-based hairs on the lower surface, less hairy on the upper surface.
Racemes 3–7, 2–6 cm long, moderately dense, simple. Spikelets usually 4–5 mm long, glabrous, solitary or in pairs, 1 pedicel of each pair frequently almost suppressed, bearing a perfect or variously, often greatly reduced spikelet. Lower glume 50–75% as long as the spikelet, usually with 1–3 stiff hairs on the midnerve in the upper 50%; upper glume equalling the spikelet. Lower lemma male, fringed with hairs, mucronate or shortly awned, 1-nerved. Fertile floret finely ridged, the lemma with an awn 0.5–1 mm long.
Flowering: summer.
Distribution and occurrence: A naturalized pasture grass. Native of Afr.
NSW subdivisions: *CWS, *NWP
Other Australian states: *Qld *W.A. *N.T.
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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