Digitaria curvinervis

HABIT Annual. Culms slender; 20–60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 4–11 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–4; paired, or digitate; unilateral; 2–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–5 cm long. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets appressed; in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.5(–2) mm long; 0.5 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 0.75 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent; meeting at apex. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; prominently veined; with veins meeting and uniting at apex; glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.5(–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.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, and western South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Man Gr US 1994.

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