Urochloa brizantha (A.Rich.) R.D.Webster

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Urochloa brizantha

Photo: Bart Wursten
Greystone Park NR

Urochloa brizantha

Photo: Bart Wursten
Greystone Park NR

Urochloa brizantha

Photo: David Hartung
Monavale Vlei

Urochloa brizantha

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along main road from Thazima Gate near elephant Sanctuary, Nyika National Park.

Urochloa brizantha

Photo: Bart Wursten
Along main road from Thazima Gate near elephant Sanctuary, Nyika National Park.

Urochloa brizantha

Photo: Petra Ballings
Along main road from Thazima Gate near elephant Sanctuary, Nyika National Park.

Urochloa brizantha

Photo: Petra Ballings
Along main road from Thazima Gate near elephant Sanctuary, Nyika National Park.

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Brachiaria brizantha var. angustifolia Stent & Rattray
Brachiaria brizantha (A. Rich.) Stapf
Panicum brizanthum A. Rich.
Common names: Common signal grass (English) Large-seeded millet grass (English)
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Tufted perennial. Culms 30–200 cm. high, erect or sometimes geniculately ascending. Leaf laminae 3–20 mm. wide, flat. Inflorescence of (1)2–16 racemes, these mostly 4–20 cm. long, bearing spikelets singly and usually in 1 row; rhachis crescentic in section, c. 1 mm. wide with narrow involute wings, ciliate on the margins. Spikelets 4–6 mm. long, glabrous or sometimes sparsely pubescent, obtuse to subacute with a slight stipe at base. Inferior glume 1/3 length of spikelet, acute or obtuse, separated from the superior by a short internode; superior glume and inferior lemma cartilaginous, dully shining. Superior lemma granulose, subacute.
Type location:
Ethiopia
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat: In savanna woodland and grassland. It is a commonly planted pasture grass.
Altitude range: (metres) 700 - 2300 m
Flowering time:Dec - Apr
Worldwide distribution: Widespread in tropical Africa and Southern Africa. Introduced elsewhere.
FZ divisions: N,MS,M
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Literature:

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 341. as Brachiaria brizantha (Includes a picture).

Chapano, C. (2002). A checklist of Zimbabwean grasses Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 16. Pretoria. Page 11. as Brachiaria brizantha

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 10. as Brachiaria brizantha

Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 6. as Brachiaria brizantha

Clayton, W.D. (1989). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(3) Page 70. as Brachiaria brizantha

Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 131. as Brachiaria brizantha

Fish, L., Mashau, A.C., Moeaha, M.J. & Nembudani, M.T. (2015). Identification Guide to Southern African Grasses Strelitzia 36 South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria Page 124. as Brachiaria brizantha

Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 31. as Brachiaria brizantha

Klaassen Esmerialda, E.S. & Craven P. (2003). Checklist of grasses in Namibia SABONET Report No. 20 Page 16. as Brachiaria brizantha

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 100. as Brachiaria brizantha

Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 127. as Brachiaria brizantha

Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 132. as Brachiaria brizantha

Van Oudtshoorn, F.P. (1992). Grasses of South Africa Briza Publications, South Africa Page 247. as Brachiaria brizantha (Includes a picture).


Other sources of information about Urochloa brizantha:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Urochloa brizantha
Flora of Burundi: Urochloa brizantha
Flora of Caprivi: Urochloa brizantha
Flora of Malawi: Urochloa brizantha
Flora of Zambia: Urochloa brizantha
Flora of Zimbabwe: Urochloa brizantha
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Urochloa brizantha

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Urochloa brizantha
African Plant Database: Urochloa brizantha
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Urochloa brizantha
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Urochloa brizantha
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Urochloa brizantha
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Urochloa brizantha
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Urochloa brizantha
JSTOR Plant Science: Urochloa brizantha
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Urochloa brizantha
Plants of the World Online: Urochloa brizantha
Tropicos: Urochloa brizantha
Wikipedia: Urochloa brizantha


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2007-25

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2025). Flora of Mozambique: Species information: Urochloa brizantha.
https://www.mozambiqueflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=106800, retrieved 10 July 2025

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