Derivation
Brachiaria (Trin.) Griseb., in C.F. von Ledebour, Fl. Ross. 4: 469 (1853). From the Latin brachium (arm), alluding to the manner of bearing the racemes.

fasciculata- from the Latin fascis (bundle), -ulus (diminutive) and -ata (possessing). With spikelets or branches clustered in the inflorescence.

Published in
Contr. New South Wales Natl. Herb. 4: 250 (1972).

Common synonyms
Urochloa fasciculata (Sw.) R.D.Webster
Urochloa fasciculata (Sw.) R.D.Webster var. reticulata (Vickery) R.D.Webster

Habit
Annual. Stolons absent. Culms decumbent, 20–120 cm tall, rooting from lower nodes. Mid-culm internodes glabrous or pubescent. Mid-culm nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface or hispid, with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a fringe of hairs, 1 mm long. Leaf-blade base truncate or broadly rounded. Leaf-blades lanceolate, 3–20(–30) cm long, 5–15 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hispid, with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins smooth or scabrous.

Inflorescence
Inflorescence compound, a panicle. Peduncle glabrous or pubescent above. Racemes 3–20, unilateral, 1–8 cm long, 0.2–0.4 mm wide, secondarily branched, secondary branches racemulose. Central inflorescence axis 6–15 cm long. Rhachis wingless, angular, scabrous on surface, with scattered hairs and pubescent on surface. Spikelet packing irregular.

Spikelets
Spikelets solitary or in pairs. Pedicels linear, ciliate, tip discoid. Fertile spikelets 2-flowered, comprising 1 fertile floret, lower floret male, upper fertile, without rhachilla extension, obovate, slightly dorsally compressed, obtuse, 2.4–3.1 mm long, falling entire.

Glumes
Glumes dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, clasping, 1–1.2 mm long, 25–33% of length of spikelet, membranous, 1–5-nerved. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume obovate, 2.5–3.1 mm long, 100% of length of spikelet, membranous, 7-nerved. Upper glume lateral nerves with cross-nerves. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex obtuse, mucronate.

Florets
Basal sterile floret 1, with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret similar to upper glume, obovate, 2.5–3.1 mm long, 100% of length of spikelet, membranous, 7-nerved, with cross-nerves, glabrous, obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic, 2.2–2.9 mm long, indurate. Lemma surface rugose. Lemma margins involute. Lemma apex obtuse, mucronate. Palea involute, indurate, without keels. Palea surface rugose.

Continental Distribution:
Australasia, North America, South America.

Australian Distribution:
Queensland, New South Wales.

Queensland: Darling Downs, Leichhardt. New South Wales: North-Western Slopes.

Classification. (GPWG 2001):
Panicoideae: Paniceae

Notes
Introduced. Native to Texas and northern Mexico but now widely introduced. Frequently occurs as a weed but is occasionally grown for grain. Flowers Jan.–June.