Digitaria leiantha

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Culms erect; 100–200 cm long. Culm-nodes brown. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous, or hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–1.5 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or convolute; 20–24 cm long; 3–5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–14; digitate; unilateral; 13–20 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3–7 cm long. Rhachis angular; scabrous on margins.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.4–3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.2–2 mm long; 0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pubescent; with clavate hairs; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.8 mm long; 0.25 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.4–3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1–1.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.5–1.6 mm long. Embryo 0.5 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

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

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Paraguay 1995.

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