Digitaria leucites

HABIT Perennial; culms solitary, or caespitose. Stolons absent, or present. Culms geniculately ascending; 30–90 cm long. Leaf-sheaths hirsute. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–4 mm long. Leaf-blades 5–12 cm long; 3–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hirsute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–10; digitate; unilateral; 7–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–2 cm long. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 2.5–3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 0.8–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy between veins. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; pilose; hairy between veins but central interspaces glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5–3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; grey; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Nov Gal 1994.

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