Digitaria longiflora

HABIT Annual, or perennial; short-lived; mat forming. Stolons present. Culms rambling; 10–60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or hirsute. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 1–9 cm long; 1–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or hirsute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–4; paired, or digitate; unilateral; 1–10 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; with rounded midrib.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.2–1.8 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, or pubescent; with verruculose hairs. 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; puberulous, or pubescent; with verruculose hairs; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.2–1.8 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; pallid, or grey, or light brown; 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, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. Pacific: southwestern and northwestern. North America: southeast USA. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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