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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Digitaria bonplandii
HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 100–150 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; striately veined; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long; erose; truncate. Leaf-blades 20–30 cm long; 8–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface ribbed; glabrous; hairless except near base.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle glabrous.
Racemes (1–)3–5; digitate; sinuous; unilateral; 10–24 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–3 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.5–0.6 mm wide; scabrous on margins.
Spikelets in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3–5 in the cluster. Pedicels angular; unequal; scabrous; ciliate; hairy all along but hairs longer above; tip cupuliform.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.5 mm long; falling entire.
GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.2 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 2.4 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins; with capitate hairs. Upper glume apex acute.
FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 2.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pubescent; hairy between veins; with capitate hairs; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.9–1 mm long; pubescent. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown, or black; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea 1 length of lemma; cartilaginous.
FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.4–0.5 mm long. Anthers 3; 1–1.2 mm long; purple.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 2 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil and southern South America.
NOTES Paniceae. Fl Paraguay 1997.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
