Digitaria debilis

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 20–60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 3–13 cm long; 2–6 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–12; digitate, or borne along a central axis; unilateral; 3–16 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–6 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; (2–)2.4–3.6(–4.5) mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes. Rhachilla elongation 0.1–0.3 mm long.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins. Upper glume apex acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 2.7–3.5 mm long; 0.7–0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pubescent; hairy between veins; with hooked hairs (curled tip); acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–4.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; grey, or purple; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Europe: southwestern and southeastern. Africa: north, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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