Digitaria eminens

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 100–200 cm long. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.6–3 mm long; erose; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades 7.5–12.5 cm long; 5–7(–10) mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–3(–5); paired, or digitate; unilateral; 10–24 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–1.2 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; scabrous on margins.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 5–6.25 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.25–1 mm long; 0.05–0.15 length of spikelet; membranous; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic; 3–4.5 mm long; 0.65–0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 9–11 -veined; glabrous; villous on margins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 4.5–6 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Paniceae. Veldkamp 1993.

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