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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Digitaria hystrichoides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Butt sheaths villous. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–60 cm long; 4–5 -noded. Culm-nodes pubescent, or bearded. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse; arising from upper culm. Leaf-sheaths pubescent, or hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades 8–15 cm long; 3–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent, or hirsute; hairy on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–15; borne along a central axis; the lowest whorled; spreading; unilateral; 15–30 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 6–13 cm long. Rhachis angular; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing distant. Raceme-bases filiform; 30–120 mm long; pubescent, or hirsute; hairy at base.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; 0.5–1 mm long, or 2–4 mm long; scabrous; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3–3.5 mm long; with hairs extending 0.5–1 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5 mm long; 0.15 length of spikelet; membranous; 0–1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins obscure. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface villous. Upper glume hairs 1–1.5 mm long. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; villous and setose; hairy between veins but central interspaces glabrous; bearing hairs 1–1.5 mm long; rostrate. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; shiny; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl NSW 1993.

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