Digitaria monodactyla

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 30–100 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades filiform, or linear; 4–20 cm long; 1–3 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; unilateral; 6–20 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular.

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; 2.5–4 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0–0.2 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; gibbous; 0.66–0.75 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; pilose; bearing yellow hairs; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; gibbous; 2.5–4 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown; keeled; keeled below. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

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

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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