Digitaria angolensis

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 20–120 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 2–20 cm long; 4–10 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–9; paired, or digitate; unilateral; 3–20 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular.

Spikelets in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3–4 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2–2.5 mm long; with hairs extending 0.2 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface villous; with verruculose hairs. Upper glume hairs white, or purple. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; villous (or central interspaces glabrous); with verruculose hairs; bearing white hairs, or purple hairs; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; gibbous; 2–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown; keeled. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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