Digitaria fuscescens

HABIT Annual; mat forming. Culms rambling; 4–30 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 1–5 cm long; 1–4 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–5; paired, or digitate; unilateral; 1–7 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; with rounded midrib.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.2–1.6 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; (3–)5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.2–1.6 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; pallid, or light brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, east tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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