Digitaria maniculata

HABIT Annual; mat forming. Culms prostrate; 10–30 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 1–2.5 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1–2; single, or paired; unilateral; 2–6 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; 0.5–0.75 mm wide; smooth on margins.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; 0.5–2.5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 2.5–2.7 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; clasping; 0.2–0.25 length of spikelet; hyaline; pallid; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex emarginate, or truncate. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose; hairy between veins; with verruculose hairs. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pilose; hairy between veins; with verruculose hairs; with dorsal tufts of hair (at base); 2 hair tufts in all; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; pallid; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, southern tropical, and south.

NOTES Paniceae. FZ.

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