Broadleaf signalgrass

Broadleaf signalgrass

Weed Flora of Mississippi

Prepared by

Taghi Bararpour and Jason Bond

Family: Poaceae (grass family)

Genus: Urochloa        Species: platyphylla

History: is native to the southeastern and south-central United States.

Life Cycle: Summer annual

Special Characteristics: Flowering occurs from June to October, producing up to 30,000 seed/m square.

Roots: Fibrous roots

Ligule: Small, membrane fringed with a ring of hairs.

Stems: Prostrate, branching and bending at the nodes.

Leaves: Alternate, leaves lack hairs, except at the margins and collars, and have no auricles. These plants have a ligule with a narrow membrane of fringed hairs up to 0.8 mm long with a pubescent sheath margin.

Flower: Small panicle with 2 to 6 short racemes.

Seeds / Fruit: Seed are generally 3 mm long.

Seedling: Blades may also be maroon-tinged when broadleaf signalgrass is in the seedling stage.

Interference: Broadleaf signalgrass is listed among the top 10 common and troublesome weeds in corn, cotton , peanut and soybean in Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Full-season broadleaf signalgrass interference reduced mature peanut forage yields 64%. Each broadleaf signalgrass plant/m square reduced rough rice yield 18 kg/ha.