Digitaria eriostachya

HABIT Annual. Culms geniculately ascending; 20–100 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths 2–12 cm long; glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long; lacerate. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2–10 cm long; 2–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–9; digitate; unilateral; 7–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–2 cm long. Rhachis angular; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels 0.5–2 mm long; scabrous.

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

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 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 lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; pilose; hairy between veins but central interspaces glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; yellow, or purple; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long; purple.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ovoid; 1 mm long. Embryo 0.4 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Entre Rios 1993.

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