Digitaria leptorhachis

HABIT Annual, or perennial; short-lived. Culms decumbent; 30–100 cm long; 1–2 mm diam.; wiry; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes glabrous (rarely), or bearded. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–20 cm long; 2–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous (rarely), or pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–12(–17); digitate, or borne along a central axis; unilateral; 4–11 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–10 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; glabrous on surface, or with scattered hairs. Raceme-bases brief, or filiform.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal.

STERILE SPIKELETS Basal sterile spikelets absent, or rudimentary.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.4–2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous. 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; pubescent; hairy between veins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.4–2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; grey; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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