Digitaria asthenes

HABIT Annual. Culms rambling; weak; 30–40 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–6 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2; paired; unilateral; 2–5 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 1.8–2.2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.05–0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume margins ciliate. 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; with unevenly spaced veins (laterals contiguous); setose; hairy on veins; bearing white hairs, or dark brown hairs; bearing hairs 0.5–1 mm long; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.8–2.2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; grey; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical and southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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