Digitaria evrardii

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 40–80 cm long; 2–5 -noded. Culm-nodes black. Leaf-sheaths pubescent; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.3 mm long. Leaf-blades 3–8 cm long; 2–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; sparsely hairy; hairy on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2; paired; unilateral; 3–18 cm long. Rhachis angular; scaberulous on margins.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels angular; unequal; 0.4–4 mm long; scaberulous; pubescent; hairy at tip; tip rectangular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 2.5–2.8 mm long; 1 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume ovate; 1–1.3 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; hyaline; 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, or ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 2.2–2.3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; pallid; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.5 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. Van der Veken 1993.

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