Digitaria iburua

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; 45–140 cm long; 4–5 -noded. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–3 mm long. Leaf-blades 15–30 cm long; 2–5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–10; digitate; unilateral; 10–15 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular.

Spikelets in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3–5 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; pubescent; hairy at tip.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; dorsally compressed; acute; 2 mm long; persistent on plant.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume oblong; 0.75–1.3 mm long; 0.33–0.5 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic, or oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; with unevenly spaced veins; glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic, or oblong; 2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown, or dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical and west-central tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTA.

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