Digitaria ammophila

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Butt sheaths villous. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–60 cm long; 2–5 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches sparse. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–3 mm long; erose; obtuse. Leaf-blades 6–20 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins entire, or undulate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–15; borne along a central axis; the lowest whorled; spreading; flexuous; unilateral; 10–20 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 7–10 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.6–0.7 mm wide. Spikelet packing distant. Raceme-bases filiform; 30–120 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; 1 mm long, or 3–4 mm long; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.5 mm long; with hairs extending 0.5–1 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5 mm long; 0.2 length of spikelet; membranous; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface villous; hairy between veins. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; villous; hairy between veins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl NSW 1993.

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