Panicum sect. Brachiaria Trinius, Gram. Panic. 51, 125. 1826.

Annual or perennial. Leaf blades linear to lanceolate, often with cartilaginous margins. Inflorescence composed of racemes along a central axis; raceme rachis triquetrous or flattened, sometimes winged; spikelets sessile or pedicelled, single or paired, rarely in fascicles or on secondary racemelets. Spikelets plump, usually elliptic, florets 2; lower glume adaxial, varying in length from very small and veinless to many-veined and subequaling spikelet, base sheathing, sometimes extended downward as a short stipe; upper glume and lower lemma similar, as long as spikelet, membranous or cartilaginous; upper lemma coriaceous, smooth, striate or rugose, margins inrolled, apex obtuse to acute, occasionally minutely mucronate; upper palea apex tucked within lemma. x = 7, 9.

Brachiaria is sometimes included within Urochloa, but usually they can be distinguished without difficulty.

About 100 species: tropics and subtropics mainly of the Old World, especially Africa; nine species (one endemic) in China.

(Authors: Chen Shouliang (陈守良); Sylvia M. Phillips)