Digitaria brownii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 6–12 cm long; 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1–7; digitate; unilateral; 5–18 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–3(–6) cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels 3–5 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or ovate; dorsally compressed; acute; 3–3.5 mm long; with hairs extending 2–3 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; reaching apex of florets. Lower glume ovate; 0.75 mm long; 0.25–0.33 length of spikelet; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface villous. Upper glume hairs 3–3.5 mm long. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; villous; hairy between veins but central interspaces glabrous; bearing hairs 3–3.5 mm long; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.75 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; pallid; shiny; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface smooth. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.75 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Bor 1993.

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