Digitaria griffithii

HABIT Perennial. Cataphylls evident. Butt sheaths pubescent. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 50–100 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3 mm long; lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades 10–25 cm long; 10–15 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides; glabrous, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–10; digitate; unilateral; 6–13 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 5–6 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing distant.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels 2–5 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acute; 2.5–3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume ovate; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; with unevenly spaced veins; pubescent; hairy between veins but central interspaces glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 2.5–3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; pallid; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute, or apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.2 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India.

NOTES Paniceae. Bor 1993.

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