Digitaria parva

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; slender; 18–50 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Lateral branches lacking, or sparse. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; keeled; glabrous on surface, or pilose. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 4–8 cm long; 2–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pilose; sparsely hairy. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–9; digitate; unilateral; 3–6 cm long. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; 1 length of fertile spikelet.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1 mm long; 0.4 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins; with clavate hairs. Upper glume margins ciliolate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; pubescent; hairy between veins; with clavate hairs; ciliolate on margins. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; purple, or black; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Swallen 2004.

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