Brachiaria brizantha var. ciliata Basappa & Muniy.
Brachiaria gangangalaensis Vanderyst
Brachiaria manzonzoensis Vanderyst
Urochloa brizantha var. ciliata (Basappa & Muniy.) S.K.Jain
Urochloa brizantha (syn.Brachiaria brizantha) is a species of grass known by the common name palisade grass. It is often used as a forage for livestock.
Other common names include palisade signal grass, bread grass,[1]Mauritius grass,[2]Surinam grass,[3]large-seeded millet grass, big ashama,[4]Ceylon sheep grass, St. Lucia grass (English),[5]Palisadengras (German), braquiária, brizantão, capim-marandu (Brazilian Portuguese),[1]zacate señal, zacate signal,[2]pasto alambre, pasto señal, pasto braquiaria, pasto mulato (Spanish),[2]kamuxi (in Angola), gawrare (in Nigeria), and ya siknaentontang (in Thailand).[4]
Description
This rhizomatous perennial grass can reach 1 to 2 meters in height.[6] The root system is up to 2 meters deep.[5] The green leaf blades are up to 40[6] to 100 centimeters long[2] and 2 wide, and are hairless or slightly rough-haired. The inflorescence is a panicle up to 20 centimeters long and 3 wide, divided into several rolled, crescent-shaped branches. The spikelets are solitary, not paired, and they line the crescent-like panicle branches closely.[6] The branches may have purple rachises and the spikelets may be purple-tinged.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The native range of the grass is tropical and southern Africa.[1][2][3][4] It has been purposely introduced to many other parts of the world, including South America[1] and the Pacific.[3] It is the main forage used in Brazil, in an area larger than 70,000 km2.[7] It is adapted to grassland and woodland habitat. It is a warm-season grass that tolerates only light frost. It survives drought better than many other tropical grasses.[5] It will grow in many soil types, but not infertile soils, and it usually requires supplemental nitrogen in cultivation. It can stand some shade and some varieties can tolerate mild flooding.[2]
Taxonomy
Urochloa brizantha is for some authors syn. with Brachiaria brizantha, since the genera Urochloa and Brachiaria are similar in some aspects.[8] A recent phylogenetic analysis concluded that Brachiaria and Urochloa are a monophyletic group, along with Eriochloa and Melinis, and that further molecular and morphological work is needed to establish clear relationships.[8]
The grass can cause a photosensitization syndrome in animals marked by skin lesions, facial edema, and ruminal stasis. The plant contains saponins which accumulate in the animal liver as sapogeninglucuronide crystals, resulting in liver damage.[5]Neurological symptoms such as ataxia can also occur.[9] This is sometimes a fatal condition. The poisoning is more likely to occur in fields that have not been recently grazed.[5]
^ abcdefQuattrocchi, U. CRC World Dictionary of Grasses: Common Names, Scientific Names, Eponyms, Synonyms, and Etymology, Volume 1. CRC Press. 2006. pg. 335.
^ abcdefgHeuzé V., Tran G., Sauvant D., Lebas F., 2016. Bread grass (Brachiaria brizantha). Feedipedia, a programme by INRA, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/490 Last updated on September 9, 2016, 16:15