Digitaria pittieri

HABIT Perennial. Culms decumbent, or rambling; 40–80 cm long; 1 mm diam.; rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths loose; hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 6–10 cm long; 7–11 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–10; digitate; unilateral; 5–8 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–4 cm long. Rhachis angular; with scattered hairs. Rhachis hairs 3–4 mm long.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels unequal; 0.2–0.3 mm long, or 1.5–3 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 3–3.7 mm long; with hairs extending 0.5–1 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume lanceolate; 2–2.7 mm long; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume hairs purple. 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; with equidistant veins; pubescent; ciliate on margins; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2.8–3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long; brown.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana, western South America, and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Costaric 1994.

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