Digitaria lehmanniana

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–40 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 6–13 cm long; 3.5–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–9; digitate; unilateral; 3–8 cm long. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3–4 in the cluster.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 1.3–1.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

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 ovate; 1.3–1.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America, western South America, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Gr Peru 1995.

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