The genera Brachiaria and Urochloa are closely related, and the two are united by some authors. See Veldkamp, Taxon 45 (1986) 319. However, this unification is not accepted by all authors - see Flora of China Vol 22 pp520-523 2006. We are following the treatment in the Flora of China and the Kew 'World Checklist of Selected Plant Families', and treating the two genera as distinct[].
Brachiaria and Urochloa are distinguished mainly by habit, Urochloa having rather more flattened, cuspidate spikelets enclosing a pronounced mucro from the upper lemma. The different spikelet orientation is also characteristic, though not obvious when the spikelets are paired. In Urochloa the lower glume faces outward, whereas in Brachiaria it lies against the rachis[]..

Common Name:

General Information

Brachiaria dictyoneura is an evergreen, perennial grass producing a dense cluster of culms that can be geniculate to decumbent, often rooting at the lower nodes. It grows around 40 - 145cm tall, spreading by means of vigorous but slender stolons[, ].
The plant is used to provide ground cover and prevent soil erosion.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Eastern and southern Africa - Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Swaziland, S. Africa

Habitat

Woody grasslands, well adapted to wet lowlands; at elevations up to 2,300 metres[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Apomictic, Wind
Cultivation Status	Cultivated

Cultivation Details

Brachiaria dictyoneura is well adapted to the humid and sub-humid tropics, at elevations up to 1,800 metres, where it withstands dry periods of up to 4 - 5 months. It is found in areas where the mean annual rainfall is within the range 1,500 - 3,500mm[, ].
The plant grows well on a wide range of soils, provided they are well drained, including acid and highly aluminium-saturated soils of low fertility[, ].
This species is amongst the Brachiaria species least affected by spittlebug (species of the genera Aeneolamia, Deois, and Zulia in the Cercopidae family) and it recovers quickly after an attack[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

A vigorous, spreading plant, it has potential for use as a ground cover in plantations and to prevent soil erosion[, , ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - should be sown no deeper than 10mm and rolling is recommended after sowing. Best results are obtained when seed is sown during the wet season[]. The seed needs after-ripening for 6 - 8 months to break dormancy. Treating the seed for 10 - 15 minutes with commercial sulphuric acid does not give much improvement in germination of recently harvested seed. Young plants are slow to establish[]
Division of culms and root pieces[].

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