Digitaria gracillima

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 60–80 cm long. Leaf-sheaths hirsute. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flexuous; flat, or involute; 30–40 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–3; paired, or digitate; unilateral; 30 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3–6 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing lax; irregular.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 2–2.3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex truncate, or obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–2.3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA and Mexico.

NOTES Paniceae. N Amer Fl 1994.

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