Digitaria macroblephara

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Stolons present. Butt sheaths pubescent. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 15–100 cm long; wiry. Culm-nodes bearded. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 3–15 cm long; 1–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex filiform.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–11; digitate; unilateral; 2–20 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–3 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.2–3.5 mm long; with hairs extending 0.5 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.2–0.3 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 0.66–0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface villous. 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; villous and setose, or setose; hairy between veins (glabrous beside midvein); acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–3.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; grey, or light brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical and east tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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