Digitaria cruciata

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 50–130 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface to pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 10–20 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides; glabrous to pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–10; digitate; unilateral; 5–18 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–4 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 2.5–3.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; shorter than spikelet. Lower glume ovate; 0.1 length of spikelet. Upper glume lanceolate, or elliptic; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface smooth; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy at apex. Upper glume apex truncate, or obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; with unevenly spaced veins; smooth; pubescent; ciliolate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5–3.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; pallid, or purple; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: western Asia and China. Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.

NOTES Paniceae. Bor 1993.

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