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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Digitaria papposa
HABIT Perennial. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; 40–70 cm long; 6–11 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths without keel; antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–4.8 mm long; erose; acute. Leaf-blades 9–27 cm long; 3–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose. Leaf-blade margins smooth.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.
Racemes 10–20; borne along a central axis; the lowest whorled; spreading; unilateral; 12–22 cm long; bearing 16–24 fertile spikelets on each; secondarily branched. Central inflorescence axis 6–12 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.5–0.6 mm wide. Spikelet packing distant. Raceme-bases filiform; 10–240 mm long; pubescent; hairy at base.
Spikelets solitary, or in pairs, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 1–4 in the cluster. Pedicels 1–5 mm long; scabrous; glabrous; tip cupuliform.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.9–2.5 mm long; 0.6–0.8 mm wide; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated between glumes.
GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong, or ovate; 0.2–0.4 mm long; 0.1–0.15 length of spikelet; membranous; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface setose. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1.4–2.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface setose. Upper glume margins ciliate. 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; prominently veined; with veins transversely connected at apex; villous and setose; ciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.7–2.3 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.
