Digitaria badia

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 50–70 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous, or pubescent. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 4–15 cm long; 2–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; with tubercle-based hairs.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–3; paired, or digitate; unilateral; 6–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.3–0.4 mm wide; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.3–3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one to two the lower present in some spikelets; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0–0.5 mm long; 0.1–0.25 length of spikelet; hyaline; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume elliptic; 1.6–2.5 mm long; 0.66–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins; with capitate hairs. Upper glume hairs dark brown. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; pubescent; hairy between veins; with capitate hairs; bearing dark brown hairs; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5–2.7 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Meso-Am 1995.

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