Digitaria mollicoma

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Cataphylls inconspicuous. Stolons present. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 25–50 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long; erose; truncate. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 1.25–6 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–3(–5); paired, or digitate; unilateral; 2.5–12.5 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–2 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels tip discoid, or cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 1.7–2.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet, or reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1.6–2.5 mm long; 0.8–1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins transversely connected at apex. Upper glume surface 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; prominently veined; with equidistant veins; with veins transversely connected at apex; pubescent; with verruculose hairs; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.7–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; yellow, or light brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 0.5–0.9 mm long; pallid, or red (pink).

DISTRIBUTION Asia-temperate: China and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia.

NOTES Paniceae. Veldkamp 1993.

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