Urochloa
P.Beauv.Tufted, rhizomatous or stoloniferous annuals or perennials. Leaf-blades flat; ligules membranous-ciliate. Inflorescence a panicle, often with one-sided spicate or racemose branches, the axes often flattened or winged. Spikelets oriented with upper glume appressed to axis, shortly pedicellate 2-flowered, the lower barren; glumes 2, falling with the spikelet, the lower shorter than the upper; lower (sterile) floret with lemma and palea developed, not becoming hardened; lemma of upper (hermaphrodite) floret hardened, apiculate to mucronate or shortly awned, transversely rugose, margins recurved with a pair of small protuberances near the apex, glabrous; palea hardened often transversely rugose, hardened, retained by the recurved margins and protuberances of the lemma.
Between c. 20 and 120 species. depending on whether or not (principally) Brachiaria is treated as a separate genus; 27 species in Australia (where Brachiaria is treated as a synonym), 12 introduced; 1 introduced species possibly established in Victoria. A cosmopolitan genus, mostly from tropical and warm-temperate regions.
