Digitaria paniculata

HABIT Annual; culms solitary, or caespitose. Culms slender; 15–50 cm long. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–2 mm long. Leaf-blades 3–10 cm long; 3–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless except near base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–5; digitate, or borne along a central axis; unilateral; 2–4 cm long; secondarily branched. Central inflorescence axis 1–3 cm long. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels unequal; 1–1.5 mm long, or 2–2.5 mm long, or 3–3.5 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.3–1.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1.2–1.3 mm long; 0.8–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. 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; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.3–1.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Nov Gal 1994.

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