Digitaria neghellensis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes absent. Butt sheaths herbaceous; not bulbous, or thickened and forming a bulb. Culms 35–70 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base amplexicaul. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 1–8 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–5; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 6–12 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 7–13 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.5–3 mm long; with hairs extending 1–2 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.2–0.5 mm long; 0.1–0.2 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3(–5) -veined. Upper glume surface villous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; villous; bearing white hairs; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2.5–3 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: northeast tropical. Asia-temperate: Arabia.

NOTES Paniceae. TAC 1997.

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