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Descriptions

W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson

© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Digitaria nematostachya

HABIT Perennial. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; 35–55 cm long; 7–12 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths without keel; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface, or pilose; outer margin glabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.8 mm long; erose; acute. Leaf-blades 6–25 cm long; 3.5–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth, or scabrous; glabrous, or hirsute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 10–20; borne along a central axis; the lowest whorled; ascending, or spreading; unilateral; 13–30 cm long; bearing 16–30 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 2.5–11 cm long. Rhachis angular; 1 mm wide. Spikelet packing distant. Raceme-bases filiform; 10–70 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels 0.5–1.5 mm long; scabrous; glabrous; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or obovate; dorsally compressed; 1.7–2.1 mm long; 0.7–0.8 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, or ovate; 0.25–0.6 mm long; 0.15–0.25 length of spikelet; membranous; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume ovate; 1.5–1.7 mm long; 0.5–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1.6–1.75 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; with veins transversely connected at apex; glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.8–2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; without keel. Lemma surface reticulate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Webster 1993.

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