Urochloa reptans (Linnaeus) Stapf

This weedy species is widely distributed in the Old World and introduced in America. It is a borderline species in the genus: the small, plump spikelets are reminiscent of Brachiaria, where it is placed by some authors.

Annual. Culms slender, creeping, rooting at lower nodes, ascending to 10–50 cm tall. Leaf sheaths glabrous, one margin densely ciliate; leaf blades lanceolate, 2–6 × 0.3–1.2 cm, glabrous or loosely hispidulous, base subcordate, margins scabrous, pectinate-ciliate at base; ligule ca. 1 mm, ciliate. Inflorescence pyramidal, axis 1–8 cm; racemes 3–6(–12), 0.5–4 cm, spreading; rachis triquetrous, scabrous; spikelets paired, crowded, pedicels setose. Spikelets ovate or ovate-elliptic, 2–2.5 mm, usually glabrous, acute; lower glume cufflike, 1/8–1/4 spikelet length, thinly membranous, veinless or obscurely 3-veined, truncate or rounded; upper glume (5–)7–9-veined; lower lemma 5-veined, palea well developed; upper lemma broadly elliptic, 1.8–2 mm, finely rugose, apiculate. Fl. and fr. summer–autumn. 2n = 14, 18.

Grassy places, fields. Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan [tropics throughout the world].