Urochloa arrecta (Hack. ex T. Durand & Schinz) Morrone & Zuloaga

16. Urochloa arrecta (Hack. ex T. Durand & Schinz) Morrone & Zuloaga View in CoL View at ENA in Darwiniana 31: 69. 1992.

Panicum arrectum Hack. ex T. Durand & Schinz, Consp. View in CoL F l. Afr. 5: 741. 1894. Brachiaria arrecta (Hack. ex T. Durand & Schinz) Stent View in CoL in Bothalia 1: 26. 1924.

Lectotypus (designated by SOSEF 2016: 358): SOUTH AFRICA. Eastern Cape: Komgha Division, near Kei River, s.d., Drège s.n. ( K [ K000282184 ]!) .

= Brachiaria arrecta var. madecassa A. Camus in Bull. Soc. Bot. F rance 101: 395. 1954. Holotypus: MADAGASCAR. R e g. Va k i n a n k a r a t r a [Pro v. A n t a n a n a r i vo]: near Antsirabe, I.1914 , Perrier de la Bâthie 10756 ( P [ P00450159 ]!; iso-: P [ P02040480 ]!) .

Loosely tufted stoloniferous perennial, ascending to erect, 0.5 –1.3 m high, culms sparsely branched, rooting at lower nodes, glabrous. Leaf sheath glabrous, sometimes pubescent at base of plant. Ligule a line of hairs. Leaf blade linear to narrowlanceolate, thickly chartaceous, 4–20 × 0.3–1.2 cm, glabrous on both sides. Inflorescence racemose, slender, open, 5–30 cm long. Racemes 2–5, 2–10 cm long, roughly even in length, on a common axis 5–25 cm long, with no secondary branching, rhachis narrowly winged, 0.5–1.5 mm wide, margins scabrid or with cilia up to 0.5 mm long, spikelets imbricate, single, subsessile, in 2 rows, pedicels often pubescent. Spikelets elliptic, apiculate, 3.5–4 mm long, yellowish, often with a purple tinge. Lower glume c. ½ as long as spikelet, membranous, obtuse, 3-veined, glabrous, turned towards rhachis. Upper glume as long as spikelet, membranous, 5– 7-veined, glabrous. Lower floret male, palea as long as lemma, anthers 3, c. 2.2 mm long. Lower lemma membranous, 5–7-veined, glabrous. Upper lemma obtuse, rugulose.

Distribution and ecology. – Common element of pastures, grazing lawns, open savannas, stream banks, roadsides, rice paddies, and swamps in central and eastern Madagascar, at elevations of 1000–1700 m (F ig. 12).

Notes. – Common native African forage grass. Much larger plant than Urochloa distachyos (L.) T.Q. Nguyen or U. nana (Stapf) Voronts. (comb. nov., see below); its mainly erect habit is a useful recognition feature. Distinguished from U. brizantha , U. eminii , and U. jubata (F ig. & De Not.) Sosef by the absence of long cilia on the edges of its rhachis, with cilia only up to 0.5 mm long ( 1.5–3 mm long in U. brizantha ). The lower part of the plant is often underwater. Provides good quality forage in the dry season (BOSSER, 1969).

Selected specimens examined. – MADAGASCAR. Reg. Alaotra-Mangoro [Prov. Toamasina]: Morarano , W du Lac Alaotra, XII.1954, Bosser 7465 ( P) ; Ambatondrazaka , Manakambahiny Est , 24.XII.1962, Rakotovao 12358 ( P) . Reg. Amoron’i Mania [Prov. Fianarantsoa]: Ambositra , riviere de F atihita , 25.I.2015, Manjato et al. 620 ( MO, P) ; 2 km E of Anjomanakona towards Ivato , 27.II.2013, Vorontsova et al. 1036 ( K, TAN) . Reg. Analamanga [Prov. Antananarivo]: Ilafy , VI.1905, Alleizette 162a ( P) ; Antananarivo-Sud , Ampitatafika , PK 10 rte. d’Arivonimamo, II.1961, Bosser 15154 ( P, TAN) . Reg. Atsinanana [Prov. Toamasina]: Ilaka-Est , station d’essai “Caroline”, XII.1962, Bosser 16827 ( P) . Reg. AIANA [Prov. Antsiranana]: rte. d’Ambilobe à Ambanja, XII.1964, Morat 1208 ( P) . Reg. Sofia [ Prov. Mahajanga]: Bealanana , Betainkankana , Ankaizina, V.1952, Bosser 2748 ( P) . Reg. Vakinankaratra [Prov. Antananarivo]: Ambohimandroso , Analamahitsy village , 26.IV.2017, Solofondranohatra et al. 883 ( K, P, TAN) . Reg. Vatovavy [Prov. Fianarantsoa]: Vohitranivo , XI.1952, Bosser 3976 ( P) .