Tijuca is a  hybrid plant obtained from the intercross between three different Setaria sphacelata cultivars (Kazungula, Nandi, Narok) and one species of Setaria splenda. The crossing started in 2004 with a selection of plants with good forage production, more leaves, lower size and lower oxalate content. Tijuca is a medium type tertraploid perennial grass with many thin tillers, good seed production, no dormancy, high yield and good cold resistance. It is suitable for beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, goats and horses.