Digitaria nuda

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 15–100 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 2–20 cm long; 3–10 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–20; digitate; unilateral; 4–20 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; glabrous on surface, or with scattered hairs; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing contiguous; 0.3 their length apart.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster; all alike, or heteromorphic (as to indumentum).

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

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.6–0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins. 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; with equidistant veins; puberulous, or pubescent; hairy between veins; eciliate on margins, or ciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.7–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; grey, or dark brown; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea; ciliate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-tropical: Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Pacific: southwestern and northwestern. North America: Mexico. South America: northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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