Digitaria diversinervis

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Rhizomes elongated; knotty. Stolons present. Culms 22–35 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 20–90 cm long; 3–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–5; paired, or digitate; unilateral; 3–4 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3–4 mm long; 1 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–1 mm long; 0.1–0.2 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 1–3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent, or obscure. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7–11 -veined; ribbed; scaberulous; rough above and on veins; glabrous; eciliate on margins, or ciliolate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3–4 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; light brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south.

NOTES Paniceae. Gr S Afr 1993.

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