Digitaria polybotryoides

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 50–60 cm long; 3–5 -noded. Leaf-sheaths 3–14 cm long; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 4–11 cm long; 3 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–8; digitate; unilateral; 4–9 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–4 cm long. Rhachis angular; scaberulous on margins.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels terete; unequal; 1–5 mm long; scaberulous; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 1.3–1.5 mm long; 1 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume obovate; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret obovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pubescent; hairy between veins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.2–1.4 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. Van der Veken 1993.

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