Digitaria duthieana

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Cataphylls evident. Stolons present. Butt sheaths pubescent. Culms decumbent; 10–20 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths hirsute. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 2.5–5 cm long; 2.5–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; pilose; sparsely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2; paired; unilateral; 2.5–3 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; 0.75 mm wide; glabrous on surface; scabrous on margins.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 2.5 mm long; 0.75 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure. Upper glume ovate, or orbicular; 0.3 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; membranous; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume margins ciliate. 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; glabrous; ciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; purple; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Paniceae. Bor 1993.

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