Digitaria pearsonii

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; wiry. Culms rambling; 30–60 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2.5–12 cm long; 3–15 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 6–20; borne along a central axis; spreading; unilateral; 3–17 cm long; simple, or secondarily branched; secondary branches racemulose (0.5–5cm). Central inflorescence axis 2.5–15 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelet packing lax.

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

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 1.7–2.3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.2–0.3 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.66–0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 1.7–2.3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown, or dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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