Digitaria adamaouensis

HABIT Annual. Butt sheaths glabrous. Culms geniculately ascending; 80–110 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or hirsute. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 8–12 cm long; 3–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–12; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 4–7 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 8.5–11 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing lax.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; 1–3 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.9–2.1 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.7 mm long; 0.33 length of upper glume; membranous. Lower glume apex truncate to acute. Upper glume oblong; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.9–2.1 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; grey; without keel. Lemma surface reticulate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. Gram Cam 1997.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.