Digitaria argyrograpta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 20–50 cm long. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 3–5 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–3; paired, or digitate; erect; unilateral; 5–10 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; 0.5 mm wide; scabrous on surface; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels angular; unequal; 0.5–3 mm long; scabrous; tip widened.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3.5–3.8 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5 mm long; 0.1–0.2 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume oblong; 0.75–0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; with unevenly spaced veins; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3–3.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; yellow; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Paniceae. FZ.

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