Digitaria compressa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths pubescent; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 50–120 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 2–7 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 6–15; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 5–15 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–8 cm long. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.3–2.8 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; clasping; 0.1 mm long; 0.05 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume oblong; 0.33–0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent, or pilose; with simple hairs, or capitate hairs (obscurely). Upper glume apex acute, or obtuse (rarely).

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 0.75–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pubescent, or pilose; hairy between veins; with simple hairs, or capitate hairs (obscurely); acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.3–2.8 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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