Digitaria pauciflora

HABIT Perennial. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 50–100 cm long. Lateral branches sparse. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 6–12 cm long; 2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface hirsute.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–3; paired, or digitate; unilateral; 5–11 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing lax. Raceme-bases filiform; 10–15 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 3.2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.2–0.5 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline. Lower glume apex erose; obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. 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; glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3.2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; grey; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION North America: southeast USA.

NOTES Paniceae. Man US Gr 1994.

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