Digitaria argyrotricha

HABIT Annual; culms solitary, or caespitose. Stolons present. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 30–70 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2–9 cm long; 2–10 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–5; paired, or digitate; unilateral; 6–16 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; with rounded midrib.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.5–2.4 mm long; with hairs extending 0.2 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.1–0.3 mm long; 0.05–0.15 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume primary vein eciliate. Upper glume surface woolly; hairy between veins; with verruculose hairs. 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; woolly; hairy between veins; with verruculose hairs; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.5–2.4 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown (golden); without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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