Digitaria poggeana

HABIT Annual. Culms erect; 50–150 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 4–25 cm long; 4–8 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes numerous; 40–100; borne along a central axis; simply spaced, or closely spaced; flexuous; unilateral; 3–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 15–35 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Raceme-bases filiform; 10–50 mm long.

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; 1.7–2.7 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; spurred (0.1–0.3mm); 0.5–0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; glabrous; with a transverse fringe of hair; ciliate on margins (purple hairs); acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.7–2.7 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; pallid; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

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

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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