Digitaria fuscopilosa

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; 40–60 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 7–10 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides. Leaf-blade margins scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–4; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 4–8 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; 0.3 mm wide; scabrous on surface; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3–5 in the cluster. Pedicels angular; unequal; 0.5–5 mm long; tip widened.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 2.3–2.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume ovate; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume hairs dark brown. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pilose; bearing dark brown hairs; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 2.3–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FZ 1997.

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