Code
BRADI
Growth form
Grass
Biological cycle
Annual / Vivacious
Habitat
Terrestrial
BRADI
Growth form
Grass
Biological cycle
Annual / Vivacious
Habitat
Terrestrial
🗒 Synonyms
| synonym | Brachiaria distachya var. brevifolia E.G.Camus & A.Camus |
| synonym | Brachiaria miliiformis (J.Presl) Chase |
| synonym | Brachiaria subquadripara (Trin.) Hitchk. |
| synonym | Digitaria distachya (L.) Pers. |
| synonym | Panicum distachyon L. |
| synonym | Panicum miliiforme J.Presl |
| synonym | Urochloa distachya (L.) T.Q.Nguyen |
| synonym | Urochloa distachyos (L.) T.Q.Nguyen |
| synonym | Urochloa subquadripara (Trin.) R.D.Webster |
🗒 Common Names
| Malagasy |
|
📚 Overview
Description
Global description
Brachiaria distachya is an annual to vivacious grass with prostrate stolons, rooted and branched at the nodes. The culms are erect, 5 to 70 cm high, hairy at the top below the inflorescence. The leaves have a linear lanceolate or linear blade, 1.5 to 20 cm long and 3 to 10 mm wide, glabrous or more or less hairy. The inflorescence is a panicle, 2 to 10 cm long, formed from 2 to 5 racemes, 1 to 6 cm long, staggered along a hairy axis. The spikelets are elliptical, 2.5 to 4 mm long, dorsoventrally compressed, glabrous.
First leaves
The first leaves have a rolled aestivation, with oval lanceolate to lanceolate blade, glabrous to slightly hairy.
General habit
Brachiaria distachya is an annual to vivacious grass with prostrate stolons, rooted and branched at the nodes, with erect thatches, 5 to 25 cm high.
Underground system
Fibrous roots and adventitious roots at the nodes.
Culm
The culms are erect, 5-70 cm high, hairy at the top near the inflorescence.
Leaf
The leaves have a linear lanceolate or linear blade, 1.5 to 20 cm long and 3 to 10 mm wide, flat, glabrous or more or less hairy. The base is slightly rounded. The ligule is formed of a membranous excrescence, with long cilia.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence is a panicle, 2 to 10 cm long, formed of 2 to 5 racemes staggered along a hairy shaft; racemes are sub sessile or sessile, obliquely erect, 1 to 5 cm long, with slender and flattened axis.
Flower
The spikelets are elliptical, 2.5 to 4 mm long, dorsoventrally compressed, glabrous, solitary, shortly pedicellate; the lower glume is quite ample and loose, reaching about 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the spikelet, 5 to 7 veined; the upper glume is of the size and shape of the spikelet, 7-veined; the lower flower is infertile, with lemma quite similar to upper glume, flattened on the back, 5-veined; the upper flower is hermaphrodite, shorter than spikelet, with crustaceous, transversely wrinkled lemma.
Seed
The grain is ovoid more or less flattened, about 1.6 mm long.
Brachiaria distachya is an annual to vivacious grass with prostrate stolons, rooted and branched at the nodes. The culms are erect, 5 to 70 cm high, hairy at the top below the inflorescence. The leaves have a linear lanceolate or linear blade, 1.5 to 20 cm long and 3 to 10 mm wide, glabrous or more or less hairy. The inflorescence is a panicle, 2 to 10 cm long, formed from 2 to 5 racemes, 1 to 6 cm long, staggered along a hairy axis. The spikelets are elliptical, 2.5 to 4 mm long, dorsoventrally compressed, glabrous.
First leaves
The first leaves have a rolled aestivation, with oval lanceolate to lanceolate blade, glabrous to slightly hairy.
General habit
Brachiaria distachya is an annual to vivacious grass with prostrate stolons, rooted and branched at the nodes, with erect thatches, 5 to 25 cm high.
Underground system
Fibrous roots and adventitious roots at the nodes.
Culm
The culms are erect, 5-70 cm high, hairy at the top near the inflorescence.
Leaf
The leaves have a linear lanceolate or linear blade, 1.5 to 20 cm long and 3 to 10 mm wide, flat, glabrous or more or less hairy. The base is slightly rounded. The ligule is formed of a membranous excrescence, with long cilia.
Inflorescence
The inflorescence is a panicle, 2 to 10 cm long, formed of 2 to 5 racemes staggered along a hairy shaft; racemes are sub sessile or sessile, obliquely erect, 1 to 5 cm long, with slender and flattened axis.
Flower
The spikelets are elliptical, 2.5 to 4 mm long, dorsoventrally compressed, glabrous, solitary, shortly pedicellate; the lower glume is quite ample and loose, reaching about 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the spikelet, 5 to 7 veined; the upper glume is of the size and shape of the spikelet, 7-veined; the lower flower is infertile, with lemma quite similar to upper glume, flattened on the back, 5-veined; the upper flower is hermaphrodite, shorter than spikelet, with crustaceous, transversely wrinkled lemma.
Seed
The grain is ovoid more or less flattened, about 1.6 mm long.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
No Data
📚 Nomenclature and Classification
No Data
📚 Natural History
Life Cycle
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
Madagascar: If the soil is moist enough, Brachiaria distachya can grow and flower throughout the year.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
Cyclicity
Brachiaria distachya is an annual to vivacious herb that is propagated by seeds or by fragments of stolons. The seeds are spread by wind, water and agricultural materials, while fragments of stolons are spread by tillage tools.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
Look Alikes
Depending on the flora, Brachiaria distachya and B. subquadripara are considered as distinct species (Mascarene Flora) or as synonyms with accepted name B. distachya or Urochloa distachya.
When these species are separated, B. distachya is distinguished by leaves 3 to 20 cm long and 3 to 8 mm wide, an inflorescence 2 to 5 cm long, racemes 1 to 3 cm long, and spikelets 2.5 to 3 mm long, while B. distachya is distinguished by leaves 3 to 20 cm long and 3 to 8 mm wide, an inflorescence 2 to 5 cm long, racemes 1 to 3 cm long, and spikelets 2.5 to 3 mm long. subquadripara has leaves 2 to 20 cm long and 5 to 10 mm wide, an inflorescence 3 to 20 cm long, racemes 2 to 6 cm long and spikelets 3.3 to 4 mm long.
Recent studies on numerous specimens show that there is a continuum between the extreme forms and that it is therefore not relevant to consider two distinct species, but rather one with a certain variability.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
Ecology
Madagascar: Brachiaria distachya grows on sandy, sandy loam alluvial and quite fertile humus bearing ferruginous soils in sunny or slightly shaded places. It is a weed of dry crops of cowpea, maize, peanut and cassava, extensive or semi-intensive. It is also found in fallow, borders of crop and canals in Northwest plains at low altitude of North west, sub-humid east and southern sub-arid.
Mauritius: Common weed of sugar cane fields in the regions of Chamarel and Case Noyale.
Reunion Island: Common weed in the sugar cane fields at low altitude in the different regions of the island (Saint Pierre, Etang Salé, La Mare). It also develops as ruderal at the roadside and on sandy soils.
Mauritius: Common weed of sugar cane fields in the regions of Chamarel and Case Noyale.
Reunion Island: Common weed in the sugar cane fields at low altitude in the different regions of the island (Saint Pierre, Etang Salé, La Mare). It also develops as ruderal at the roadside and on sandy soils.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
No Data
📚 Habitat and Distribution
General Habitat
Origin
Brachiaria distachya is native to India and the Malay region.
Worldwide distribution
Central and South America, tropical Africa, India and Pakistan, China, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. It is common to Mascarene less common in Madagascar.
Brachiaria distachya is native to India and the Malay region.
Worldwide distribution
Central and South America, tropical Africa, India and Pakistan, China, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. It is common to Mascarene less common in Madagascar.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
No Data
📚 Occurrence
No Data
📚 Demography and Conservation
Risk Statement
Local harmfulness
Madagascar: Brachiaria distachya is a weed quite frequent and locally abundant in plains of low altitude of the western side of Madagascar. It is a fast-growing species that multiplies both by seed and vegetatively; the effectiveness of manual weeding to control this species in the rainy season appears very limited. B. distachya is locally abundant in rainfed cultures or flood recession farmings, led more or less extensively (basic soil preparation, late or inefficient manual weeding...).
Mauritius: Common weed in sugar cane.
Reunion Island: An uncommon weed prior to the 2000s, it is now becoming more and more common in low altitude sugar cane plots, and can become locally abundant.
Madagascar: Brachiaria distachya is a weed quite frequent and locally abundant in plains of low altitude of the western side of Madagascar. It is a fast-growing species that multiplies both by seed and vegetatively; the effectiveness of manual weeding to control this species in the rainy season appears very limited. B. distachya is locally abundant in rainfed cultures or flood recession farmings, led more or less extensively (basic soil preparation, late or inefficient manual weeding...).
Mauritius: Common weed in sugar cane.
Reunion Island: An uncommon weed prior to the 2000s, it is now becoming more and more common in low altitude sugar cane plots, and can become locally abundant.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
No Data
📚 Uses and Management
Management
Local management
Madagascar: Weeding with angady or sometimes with the hoe remains the most used method for controlling Brachiaria distachya in Madagascar, in rainfed cropping systems of cassava, cowpea, groundnut or upland rice; or in flood recession culture system with maize and cowpea; sugarcane plantation. This control method is not very effective because of the perennial biological type of this species. All fragmented runner is a source of vegetative propagation of the plant.
Madagascar: Weeding with angady or sometimes with the hoe remains the most used method for controlling Brachiaria distachya in Madagascar, in rainfed cropping systems of cassava, cowpea, groundnut or upland rice; or in flood recession culture system with maize and cowpea; sugarcane plantation. This control method is not very effective because of the perennial biological type of this species. All fragmented runner is a source of vegetative propagation of the plant.
Wiktrop
| Attributions | Wiktrop |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
No Data
📚 Information Listing
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
Thomas Le Bourgeois
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
References
- MOODY K., 1989 –Weeds reported in Rice in South and Southeast Asia. IRRI, Los Banös Philippines, 442 p.
- BOSSER J. 1969 – GRAMINEES DES PATURAGES ET DES CULTURES A MADAGASCAR. Mémoire ORSTOM n° 35, ORSTOM Paris, p. 412-419.
Natural History > Look Alikes
- Sosef, M.S.M. 2016. "Taxonomic novelties in Central African grasses (Poaceae), Paniceae 1." Plant Ecology and Evolution 149((3)): 356-365.
Information Listing > References
- MOODY K., 1989 –Weeds reported in Rice in South and Southeast Asia. IRRI, Los Banös Philippines, 442 p.
- BOSSER J. 1969 – GRAMINEES DES PATURAGES ET DES CULTURES A MADAGASCAR. Mémoire ORSTOM n° 35, ORSTOM Paris, p. 412-419.
Images
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Brachiaria%2520distachya
Thomas Le Bourgeois
| Attributions | |
| Contributors | |
| Status | UNDER_CREATION |
| Licenses | CC_BY |
| References |
There is content in another language. Please click here to read it. (Français)
No Data
🐾 Taxonomy
| Root | Root |
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Liliopsida |
| Order | Poales |
| Family | Poaceae |
| Genus | Brachiaria |
| Species | Brachiaria distachya (L.) Stapf |
📊 Temporal Distribution
📷 Related Observations
