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.