Digitaria exilis

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–80 cm long; 5–8 -noded. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–15 cm long; 3–7 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–5; digitate; erect; unilateral; 4–15 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; with rounded midrib; 0.5–1 mm wide.

Spikelets in pairs, or in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2–4 in the cluster. Pedicels terete; unequal; tip discoid.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; dorsally compressed; acute; 1.7–2 mm long; persistent on plant.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume oblong; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; ribbed; with equidistant veins, or with unevenly spaced veins; glabrous; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.7–2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; pallid, or grey; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical and west-central tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTA.

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