Digitaria chaseae

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 70–130 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes constricted; pubescent. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths striately veined; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs; outer margin hairy. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–20 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides; pilose; hairy adaxially. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle 25–50 cm long; pubescent above.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 17 cm long. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; puberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong, or ovate; dorsally compressed; 2.5 mm long; 1.25 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.2 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 6–7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins; with capitate hairs.

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 but central interspaces glabrous; with capitate hairs. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Henrard 2004.

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