Urochloa distachyos

Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens from wild populations. Cultivated occurrences are not mapped. View county names by placing the cursor over the map.

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Family:	POACEAE
Species:	Urochloa distachyos (L.)T.Q.Nguyen
Common Name:	TROPICAL SIGNALGRASS
Plant Notes:	The name U. subquadripara has often been applied to material in Florida (e.g. FNA, vol. 25), its distinction from U. distachya has oft been questioned. Sosef (2016) chose to recognize only U. distachya, with the other as synonym, observing "an almost continuous grade" between the alleged forms.
Status:	Not Native, UPL (NWPL)
Specimen:	View details of USF Herbarium specimens

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

Division
Class
Sub Class
Order	POALES
Family	POACEAE
Genus	Urochloa
Species	Urochloa distachyos (L.)T.Q.Nguyen - TROPICAL SIGNALGRASS

Citation

Citation	UROCHLOA DISTACHYOS (Linnaeus) T. Q. Nguyen, Novit. Syst. Pl. Vasc., Acad. Sci. URSS 1966: 13. 1966.
Basionym:	Panicum distachyon Linnaeus 1771.
Type:	INDIA: Without data, Koenig s.n. (lectotype: LINN 80.14). Lectotypified by Henrard, Monogr. Digitaria 191. 1950.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Source

County	Herbaria	Literature Citation (If Applicable)
Alachua	FLAS
Brevard	USF
Broward	USF
Charlotte	USF
Collier	USF
DeSoto	USF
Hillsborough	USF
Indian River	USF
Jackson	FSU
Lake	USF
Lee	USF
Manatee	USF
Martin	USF
Miami-Dade	USF
Monroe Keys	FTG
Monroe Mainland	USF
Okeechobee	USF
Orange	USF
Osceola	USF
Pinellas	USF
Polk	USF
Sarasota	USF
St. Lucie	USF
Volusia	USF

Synonyms

– Denotes synonyms that are applicable to the state. Show these synonyms only

Synonym	Full Citation	Basionym	Type
Brachiaria distachyos	Brachiaria distachyos (Linnaeus) Stapf, in Olivar, Fl. Trop. Afr. 9: 565. 1919.	BASIONYM: Panicum distachyon Linnaeus 1771.
Brachiaria subquadripara	Brachiaria subquadripara (Trinius) Hitchcock, Lingnan Sci. J. 7: 214. 1931.	BASIONYM: Panicum subquadriparum Trinius 1826.
Digitaria distachyos	Digitaria distachyos (Linnaeus) Persoon, Syn. Pl. 1: 85. 1805.	BASIONYM: Panicum distachyon Linnaeus 1771.
Panicum distachyon	Panicum distachyon Linnaeus, Mant. Pl. 183. 1771.		TYPE: INDIA: Without data, Koenig s.n. (lectotype: LINN 80.14). Lectotypified by Henrard, Monogr. Digitaria 191. 1950.
Panicum subquadriparum	Panicum subquadriparum Trinius, Gram. Panic. 145. 1826.		TYPE: MARIANA ISLANDS: Guam: Without data, Chamisso s.n. (holotype: LE).
Urochloa subquadripara	Urochloa subquadripara (Trinius) R. D. Webster, Austral. Panic. 252. 1987.	Panicum subquadriparum Trinius 1826.
Brachiaria hybrida	Brachiaria hybrida Basappa & Muniyamma, Proc. Indian Natl. Sci. Acad., B. 49: 379. 1983.		TYPE: INDIA: Without data, Basappa & Muniyamma 2851 (holotype: CAL; isotypes: BSI, MGM).
Brachiaria miliiformis	Brachiaria miliiformis (J. Presl) Chase, Contr. U.S. Nat. Herb. 22: 35. 1920.	BASIONYM: Panicum miliiforme J. Presl 1830.
Brachiaria subquadripara var. hirsuta	Brachiaria subquadripara (Trinius) Hitchcock, var. hirsuta Jansen, Reinwardtia 2: 241. 1953.		TYPE: INDONESIA: Buru: Without data, Lörzing 6153 (holotype: L; isotype: BO).
Brachiaria subquadripara var. miliiformis	Brachiaria subquadripara (Trinius) Hitchcock, var. miliiformis (J. Presl) S. L. Chen & Y. X. Jin, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 22: 472. 1984.	BASIONYM: Panicum miliiforme J. Presl 1830.
Brachiaria subquadripara var. pubescens	Brachiaria subquadripara (Trinius) Hitchcock, var. pubescens Jansen, Reinwardtia 2: 241. 1953.		TYPE: INDONESIA: Sumatra: Without data, Jansen 19 (holotype: L).
Brachiaria subquadripara var. setulosa	Brachiaria subquadripara (Trinius) Hitchcock, var. setulosa S. L. Chen & Y. X. Jin, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 22: 472. 1984.		TYPE: CHINA: Yunnan:
Panicum miliiforme	Panicum miliiforme J. Presl, in C. Presl, Reliq. Haenk. 1: 300. 1830.		TYPE: PHILIPPINES: Luzon: Without data, Haenke s.n. (holotype: PR).
Panicum radicans	Panicum radicans Llanos, Fragm. Fl. Filip. 43. 1851, non Retzius 1786.		TYPE: PHILIPPINES: Without data, Merrill Sp. Blanc. 711 (neotype: L; isoneotypes: BM, BO, K, P, U). Neotypified by Veldkamp, Blumea 41: 430. 1996.

Specimens

Country	State	County	Date	Specimen	Notes
USA	Florida	St. Lucie Co.	22 Jul 1998	K. A. Bradley 1079
USA	Florida	Martin Co.	25 Jul 2002	S. W. Woodmansee 771
USA	Florida	Orange Co.	19 Sep 2000	W. K. Taylor s.n.
USA	Florida	Monroe Co.	27 Aug 1968	O. K. Lakela 31599
USA	Florida	Brevard Co.	10 Nov 2001	W. K. Taylor s.n.
USA	Florida	Martin Co.	03 Nov 1979	J. Popenoe 1830
USA	Florida	Okeechobee Co.	26 Sep 1985	R. P. Wunderlin 10103
USA	Florida	Broward Co.	14 Dec 2000	P. L. Howell 456
USA	Florida	Okeechobee Co.	29 Oct 1998	S. L. Orzell 25395
USA	Florida	Volusia Co.	29 Aug 2004	J. M. Kunzer 653
USA	Florida	Okeechobee Co.	25 Sep 1986	B. F. Hansen 11253
USA	Florida	Indian River Co.	05 Dec 1980	G. Robinson 40
USA	Florida	Brevard Co.	16 Nov 2004	P. A. Schmalzer 04-675
USA	Florida	Sarasota Co.	29 Sep 2007	A. R. Franck 376
USA	Florida	Hillsborough Co.	22 Oct 2004	J. M. Kunzer 726
USA	Florida	Lee Co.	10 Apr 1980	B. F. Hansen 6997
USA	Florida	Martin Co.	July 1987	R. O. Woodbury s.n.
USA	Florida	DeSoto Co.	31 Jul 2008	A. R. Franck 759
			23 Oct 1965	O. K. Lakela 29326
USA	Florida	Polk Co.	29 Nov 2007	D. Husband s.n.
USA	Florida	Miami-Dade Co.	01 Nov 1972	M. B. Meagher 591a
USA	Florida	Miami-Dade Co.	Sep 1970	C. Byrd 15
USA	Florida	Martin Co.	17 Nov 2002	S. W. Woodmansee 1049
USA	Florida	Pinellas Co.	25 Oct 1980	G. Fleming 3394
USA	Florida	Charlotte Co.	10 Oct 1999	R. A. Hattaway s.n.
USA	Florida	Pinellas Co.	14 Nov 1987	G. Fleming 3813
USA	Florida	Martin Co.	23 Jul 2002	S. W. Woodmansee 740
USA	Florida	DeSoto Co.	03 Dec 2009	A. R. Franck 1570
USA	Florida	Volusia Co.	02 Oct 2004	J. M. Kunzer 688
USA	Florida	Volusia Co.	01 Oct 2004	J. M. Kunzer 664
USA	Florida	Volusia Co.	20 Dec 2005	J. M. Kunzer 1241
USA	Florida	Putnam Co.	09 Dec 2010	C. Slaughter 17939
USA	Florida	Lake Co.	29 Jul 2011	S. E. Green 60
USA	Florida	Pinellas Co.	15 Nov 2008	R. Chicone 673
USA	Florida	Lee Co.	26 Jun 2003	A. Bishop CC0016
USA	Florida	Manatee Co.	07 May 2008	E. Gandy TC0010
USA	Florida	Sarasota Co.	2012	E. Gandy 1007
USA	Florida	Lee Co.	14 Nov 1970	W. C. Brumbach 7344
USA	Florida	Broward Co.	01 Mar 2019	Lange 106
USA	Florida	Hillsborough Co.	30 Aug 2012	S. Dickman 578
USA	Florida	Hillsborough Co.	08 Nov 2012	S. Dickman 642	Sheet 1 of 2.
USA	Florida	Hillsborough Co.	08 Nov 2012	S. Dickman 642	Sheet 2 of 2.
USA	Florida	Broward Co.	19 Apr 2021	J. Lange 252
USA	Florida	Hillsborough Co.	05 Sep 2019	S. Dickman 1493
USA	Florida	Brevard Co.	17 Nov 2015	M. Mercadonte 15-66

Listed Status: Florida

Listed Status:	(Florida):Source - Plants in the Preservation of Native Flora of Florida Act. Chapter 5B-40, Florida Administrative Code. 1998, amended.
Endangered:	A species of plants native to the state that are in imminent danger of extinction within the state, the survival of which is unlikely if the causes of a decline in the number of plants continue, and includes all species determined to be endangered or threatened pursuant to the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.
Threatened:	Listed as Threatened Plants in the Preservation of Native Flora of Florida Act. Defined as species of plants native to the state that are in rapid decline in the number of plants within the state, but which have not so decreased in such number as to cause them to be endangered.

Listed Status: US

Listed Status: US	(U.S.) Source - List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.
Endangered:	Any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
Threatened:	Any species which is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

WAP: Wetland AssessmentProcedure

Wetland Assessment Procedure (WAP): Source - Southwest Florida Water Management District, Wetland Assessment Procedure Instruction Manual for Isolated Wetlands (March 2005).

AD:	Adaptive Species. Plant species designated as FAC or Upland by DEP, but commonly seen in the transition zone in limited numbers.
D:	Deep Species. Plant species commonly found in the deep zone, and designated either FAC or OBL by DEP.
OD:	Outer Deep Species. Plant species commonly found in the outer deep zone, and designated either FACW or OBL by DEP.
T:	Transition Species. Plant species commonly found in the transition zone, and designated either FACW or OBL by DEP.
U:	Upland Species. Plant species that are not expected to be seen in wetlands.

ANY - WAP critieria is not taken into consideration
Yes - Show results with WAP designations
No - Show results without WAP designations

FISC: Florida Invasive Species Council

FISC:

Source - Florida Invasive Species Council's 2017 List of Florida's Most Invasive Species

Category I - Species that are invading and disrupting native plant communities in Florida. This definition does not rely on the economic severity or geographic range of the problem, but on the documented ecological damage caused.

Category II - Species that have shown a potential to disrupt native plant communities. These species may become ranked as Category I, but have not yet demonstrated disruption of natural Florida communities.

DEP: Department of Environmental Protection

Wetland Status, Department of Environmental Regulation (DEP): Source - Delineation of the Landward Extent of Wetlands and Surface Waters, Chapter 62-340, Florida Administrative Code. 1994.

OBL:	Obligate wetland. Occurs almost always under natural conditions in wetlands.
FACW:	Facultative Wetland. Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally found in non-wetlands
FAC:	Facultative. equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands.

NWPL: National Wetland Plant List

National Wetland Plant List (NWPL): Source - Lichvar, R.W., M. Butterwick, N.C. Melvin, and W.N. Kirchner. 2014. The National Wetland Plant List: 2014 Update of Wetland Ratings. Phytoneuron 2014-41: 1-42.

OBL:	Obligate Wetland. Occurs almost always (estimated probability 99%) under natural conditions in wetlands.
FACW:	Facultative Wetland. Usually occurs in wetlands (estimated probability 67%-99%), but occasionally found in non-wetlands.
FAC:	Facultative. Equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands (estimated probability 34%-66%).
FACU:	Facultative Upland. Usually occurs in non-wetlands (estimated probability 67%-99%), but occasionally found in wetlands (estimated probability 1%-33%).
UPL:	Obligate Upland. Occurs in wetlands in another region, but occurs almost always (estimated probability 99%) under natural conditions in non-wetlands in the regions specified.

Persisting

Identifying species that appear as waifs or only periodically appear in the flora for a few seasons.

Any - Persisting critieria is not taken into consideration
Yes - Show results with a Persisting value of Y
No - Show results without Persisting value of N

Duration

Annual:	Plants that perform their entire lifecycle within a single growing season. All roots, stems, and leaves die at the end of the growing season. Over wintering seeds allow the next generation to appear.
Biennial:	A plant that is typically vegetative its first year and blooms the following season. Once it has bloomed and set seed, the plant dies. Garlic mustard is an example of a biennial.
Perennial:	These plants live for three or more seasons. Many perennials may not be mature enough to bloom during its first year. Perennial wildflowers re-grow each season from overwinter root material.

Category

Vascular:	Any of various plants that have the vascular tissues xylem and phloem. The vascular plants include all seed-bearing plants (the gymnosperms and angiosperms) and the pteridophytes (including the ferns, lycophytes, and horsetails). Also called tracheophyte.
Bryophyte:	A large group of seedless green plants including the mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Bryophytes lack the specialized tissues xylem and phloem that circulate water and dissolved nutrients in the vascular plants. Bryophytes generally live on land but are mostly found in moist environments, for they have free-swimming sperm that require water for transport. In contrast to the vascular plants, the gametophyte (haploid) generation of bryophytes constitutes the larger plant form, while the small sporophyte (diploid) generation grows on or within the gametophyte and depends upon it for nutrition.
Lichen:	The mutualistic symbiotic association of a fungus with an alga or a cyanobacterium, or both. The fungal component of a lichen absorbs water and nutrients from the surroundings and provides a suitable environment for the alga or cyanobacterium. These live protected among the dense fungal hyphae and produce carbohydrates for the fungus by photosynthesis. Owing to this partnership, lichens can thrive in harsh environments such as mountaintops and polar regions. The more familiar lichens grow slowly as crusty patches, but lichens are found in a variety of forms, such as the tall, plantlike reindeer moss. The association between the different organisms in a lichen is so close that lichens are routinely referred to as a single organism, and scientists classify lichens using the name of the fungal component.

(Definitions from: American Heritage Science Dictionary)

Growth Habit

Intro paragraph to be provided by New York.

Vine:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.
Shrub:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.
Tree:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.
Et cetera:	DESCRIPTION TO BE PROVIDED BY NEW YORK.

State Rank

This numeric rank provides the relative rarity for each species based on a scale from 1 (very rare) to 5 (common). These ranks carry no legal status.

S1 - Typically 5 or fewer occurrences, very few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable in the state.
S2 - Typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state.
S3 - Typically 21 to 100 occurrences, limited acreage, or miles of stream in the state.
S4 - Apparently secure in the state.
S5 - Demonstrably secure in the state.
SE - State exotic or non-native.
SH - Historically known from the state, but not seen in the past 15 years.
SNA - Species for which a rank is not applicable. This is mainly those species which are now excluded from flora for various reasons.
SNR - Not yet ranked.
SX - Apparently extirpated from the state.

Global Rank

Each species' global rank is determined by NatureServe. These ranks carry no legal weight. The global rank reflects the species worldwide rarity.

G1 - Critically imperiled globally because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences), or very few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or especially vulnerable to extinction because of some factor of its biology.
G2 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors.
G3 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors.
G4 - Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors.
G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
GH - Historically known, with the expectation that it might be rediscovered.
GNA - Species for which a rank is not applicable. NatureServe does not typically rank hybrid species.
GNR - Not yet ranked.
GX - Species believed to be extinct.

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Associated Ecological Communities

View a List of All Ecological Communities

For more information, contact: Richard Wunderlin or Bruce Hansen, Alan Franck, or Karla Alvarado

Web Development: USF Water Institute

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Citation Information:

Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2024. Atlas of Florida Plants (http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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Definition: Vouchered Specimen

A voucher specimen is a pressed and thoroughly dried plant sample deposited in a herbarium, and is intended to be a permanent record supporting research purposes. A voucher may be a record of a plant's occurrence in a particular area, or a specific example of a plant used in a scientific investigation.

Proper vouchers display all the necessary attributes for complete identification of the plant, and are to be accompanied by accurate locality, habitat, collection time, and collector data.

Only plant populations vouchered by specimens deposited in Index Herbariorum http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/ recognized herbaria are represented on this map.