Plants annual. Culms (20)40-200 cm, erect or decumbent; nodes puberulent; internodespubescent, at least below the nodes. Sheaths usually with papillose-based hairs, margins shortly ciliate; collars pubescent; ligules 1-1.8 mm; blades 7-24 cm long, 5-20 mm wide, softly pubescent on both surfaces, margins ciliate basally, scabrous distally. Panicles 8-24 cm long, 1-3 cm wide, with spikelike primary branches in more than 2 ranks; primary branches 1-8 cm long, 0.3-0.4 mm wide, appressed to ascending, axes triquetrous, pubescent, with some papillose-based hairs; secondary branches present on the lower branches, short, appressed; pedicelsshorter than the spikelets,usually with papillose-based hairs distally. Spikelets 4.8-6 mm long, 1.8-2 mm wide, mostly paired, in 2-4 rows, appressed to the branches. Glumes scarcely separate, rachilla internodes short, not pronounced; lower glumes 2.4-3.2 mm, to 1/2 as long as the spikelets, 5-7-veined, glabrous or sparsely pubescent distally; upper glumes 4-5.5 mm, glabrous or sparsely pilose, 7-9-veined; lower florets staminate (sterile); lower lemmas 4.7-6 mm, glabrous or sparsely pilose, 5-veined; lower paleas present; upper lemmas 3.6-4.1 mm long, 1.7-1.9 mm wide, apices acute, beaked; anthers (1.6) 2.2-2.7 mm. Caryopses 2-3 mm; hilaslinear, about 1/2 as long as the caryopses. 2n = 54.
Urochloa texana grows in sandy, moist soils from the southern United States to northern Mexico. Populations in the United States outside of Texas may represent relatively recent introductions.