Digitaria melanotricha

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; slender; 10–20 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades involute; 2–6 cm long; 1 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 2–4 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; with sharp-edged midrib; 0.5 mm wide; ciliate on margins.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2–2.5 mm long; with hairs extending 1–1.5 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; gibbous; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. 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; sulcate; pilose; bearing dark brown hairs; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; gibbous; 2–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; keeled; keeled below. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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