Digitaria mariannensis

HABIT Annual; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms geniculately ascending; 30–60 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or puberulous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1.5 mm long; erose; truncate. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 1.5–7.5(–12) cm long; 2–6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; glabrous, or pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–5(–8); digitate; unilateral; 2–12 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–1 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes both absent or obscure, or one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 0.1–2.5 mm long; 0–0.1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0–1 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent, or obscure. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface villous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 0.85–1 length of spikelet; membranous; (7–)9–13 -veined; with equidistant veins; smooth, or scaberulous; rough on veins; glabrous, or puberulous; ciliate on margins, or setose on margins; truncate to acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5–3.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; yellow; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: Malesia. Pacific: northwestern.

NOTES Paniceae. Veldkamp 1993.

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