Digitaria myurus

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths pubescent; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 20–80 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–30 cm long; 2–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or hirsute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–7; borne along a central axis; in a multilateral false spike; appressed; unilateral; 2–6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 7–15 cm long. Rhachis angular; glabrous on margins, or setose on margins.

Spikelets in pairs, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2–6 in the cluster. Pedicels setose; hairy at tip.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or oblong; dorsally compressed; 1.8–2.3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume oblate; 0.6–0.8 mm long; 0.33 length of spikelet; hyaline; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume apex truncate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 0.8–1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined; glabrous; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.8–2.3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. 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.