Digitaria fulva

HABIT Perennial; mat forming; clumped densely. Rhizomes elongated. Butt sheaths pubescent. Culms erect; 20–60 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheath oral hairs ciliate. Ligule an eciliate membrane; truncate. Leaf-blades 5–20 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle glabrous, or pilose above.

Racemes 2–4; paired, or digitate; unilateral; 3–12 cm long. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3–5 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; 1–5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; dorsally compressed; acute; 2.7–3.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume ovate; 0.66–0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins. Upper glume hairs tawny, or red. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7–9 -veined; pubescent; hairy between veins; bearing tawny hairs, or red hairs; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 2.7–3.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. Gr Madag 1997.

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