Digitaria atrofusca

HABIT Perennial; short-lived. Culms decumbent, or rambling; 80–150 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 15–45 cm long; 2–11 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–11; digitate; unilateral; 8–22 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; with rounded midrib.

Spikelets in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3–5 in the cluster. Pedicels glabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.8–2.7 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; clasping; 0.1–0.2 mm long; 0.05–0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.33–0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pubescent; with capitate hairs (minutely). Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; with equidistant veins; glabrous, or pubescent; with capitate hairs (minutely); acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.8–2.7 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown, or black; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

FRUIT Caryopsis flattened.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central 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.