Digitaria cardenasiana

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 30–60 cm long; 3–6 -noded. Culm-internodes terete; striate; smooth. Culm-nodes constricted; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths 6–12 cm long; woolly; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface woolly. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–4; digitate; unilateral; 5–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0.5–4 cm long; glabrous, or pubescent. Rhachis angular; 0.5 mm wide; scaberulous on margins.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; 1–3 mm long; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.8–2.4 mm long; with hairs extending 1 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1.6–2.2 mm long; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; with capitate hairs. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1.8–2.2 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; (5–)7 -veined; prominently veined; pubescent; hairy between veins; with capitate hairs. Palea of lower sterile floret hyaline; 0.3 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.6–2.2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; 0.35 mm long; truncate.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Gir-Con 2005.

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