Urochloa panicoides
{{Short description|Species of grass}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Urochloa panicoides.jpg
|status = LC
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|genus = Urochloa
|species = panicoides
|authority = P.Beauv.
|synonyms = Panicum borzianum
Panicum controversum
Panicum helopus
Panicum hirsutum
Panicum hochstetteranum
Panicum javanicum
Panicum oxycephalum
Panicum panicoides
Panicum setarioides
Urochloa helopus
Urochloa marathensis
Urochloa panicoides
Urochloa pubescens
Urochloa ruschii
}}
Urochloa panicoides is a fodder grass originating in Southern Africa.
Description
This annual grass has decumbent or upright stems up to a meter long. It may root where its lower nodes contact the substrate. The leaves have linear or lance-shaped blades up to 25 centimeters long. They are hairless to somewhat hairy, and they may have hairs lining the edges. The inflorescence is composed of up to 10 racemes, each up to 7 centimeters long. The spikelets are solitary or paired.{{GrassBase | name = Urochloa panicoides | id = imp10723}}
Urochloa panicoides can be confused with Urochloa setigera, but the morphology of the spikelet is slightly different.
Distribution
This grass is native to southern Africa. It has naturalized elsewhere, including Australia, Argentina, India and the United States.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
Ecology
Usage
Diseases and pests
This grass is susceptible to the maize streak virus (MSV), which is transmitted by Cicadulina leafhoppers such as Cicadulina mbila, C. arachidis, C. triangula, C. bimaculata, C. similis, C. latens, C ghaurii, and C. parazeae.
It is also susceptible to cereal chlorotic mottle virus, which is transmitted by several insects, including Nesoclutha pallida and Cicadula bimaculata.
Common names
Common names for the grass include barajalgauti, basaunta (Punjabi), tuinheesgras, heesgras, kurimanna (Afrikaans), sharp-flowered signal-grass,{{BSBI 2007 |access-date=2014-10-17 }} annual signal grass, garden signal grass, panic liverseed grass, herringbone grass (English), kuri millet (in Zimbabwe), pasto africano (Italian), farsho (Somali), kgolane, and bore-ba-ntjia (Sotho).