Digitaria divaricatissima

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths thickened and forming a bulb; pubescent, or villous. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pubescent, or hirsute. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long. Leaf-blades 4–15 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; deciduous as a whole. Peduncle fracturing.

Racemes 4–10; digitate, or borne along a central axis; radiating; unilateral; 8–35 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–10 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing distant. Raceme-bases filiform; 10–90 mm long.

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; acute, or acuminate; 3.75–5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.1–0.25 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate, or obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins ribbed. Upper glume surface villous; hairy between veins. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; ribbed; with unevenly spaced veins; villous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3–4.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: north-central.

NOTES Paniceae. Vickery.

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