Digitaria perrottetii

HABIT Annual. Culms decumbent; 30–200 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base simple, or broadly rounded, or amplexicaul. Leaf-blades curled; 3–35 cm long; 3–20 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; in several whorls; spreading; unilateral; 2–11 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 8–30 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular; with scattered hairs.

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 elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.2–2.3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets, or shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 0.75–1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous, or pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; puberulous, or pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.2–2.3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, south, and western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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