Urochloa mutica (Forssk.) Nguyen

Para Grass

Synonyms: Brachiaria mutica (Forssk.) Stapf

Brachiaria purpurascens (Raddi) Henrard

Natural range: Africa

Habitat: Disturbed moist sites, ditches

Florida status: Aggressive exotic weeds in wet sites. Pasture grass.

Recognition: Spikelets 2.6-3.5 mm, purple-tinged. Ligule ciliate. Lower glume 1/3 length of spikelet, 1(3)-veined. The spikelets slightly flattened laterally. Big and coarse with papillose-based hairy-sheaths. Tending to be prostrate in wet areas. Browntop Millet (Urochloa ramosa) may have papillose hairs on the leaf sheaths, but this species differs by having 3-angled inflorescence axes (vs. flat axes), and usually > 3 (vs. usually 1) veins in the lower glume, and brown (vs. purplish-greenish) mature spikelets. Urochloa texana is similar but has leaves abundantly pilose with erect hairs on both surfaces and ciliate on the margins.