Digitaria coenicola

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Butt sheaths pubescent, or villous. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–60 cm long. Culm-internodes distally pubescent. Culm-nodes pubescent. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths pubescent, or woolly. Ligule an eciliate membrane; obtuse. Leaf-blades 5–15 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade margins entire, or undulate. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–10; borne along a central axis; the lowest whorled; spreading; straight; unilateral; 10–25 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10–20 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.25 mm wide; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing distant. Raceme-bases filiform; 50–100 mm long; pilose; hairy at base.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; 0.5–2 mm long, or 4–15 mm long; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets linear, or lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4.5–5 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.15–0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5–7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 4 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl NSW 1993.

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