Digitaria junghuhniana

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Culms decumbent; 25–50 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–4 mm long; erose; truncate. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 1.5–19 cm long; 3–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; sparsely hairy, or moderately hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–19; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1.5–13 cm long; simple, or with branchlets at base of longer racemes. Central inflorescence axis 1–9 cm long. Rhachis angular; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels tip discoid, or cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 2.25–3.25 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0–0.2 mm long; 0–0.1 length of spikelet; membranous; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic; 0.5–1.75 mm long; 0.4–0.6 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3(–5) -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume margins pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; with unevenly spaced veins; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.6–0.65 mm long; purple.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia.

NOTES Paniceae. Veldkamp 1993.

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