Digitaria balansae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 80–200 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches sparse, or ample. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.2 mm long; brown; erose; truncate. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 4–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf.

Racemes 2–11; digitate; unilateral; 4–22 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–4 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.4–0.5 mm wide; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3–4 in the cluster. Pedicels 0.5–3 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; dorsally compressed; 1.8–2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1.5–1.6 mm long; 0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins; with clavate hairs. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; pubescent; hairy between veins but central interspaces glabrous; with clavate hairs; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.3–0.4 mm long; 0.15 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.8–2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.6 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1–1.1 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Paraguay 1995.

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