Digitaria procurrens

HABIT Perennial; mat forming. Stolons present. Culms geniculately ascending; 20–30 cm long. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–1 mm long. Leaf-blades lanceolate; 2–3 cm long; 4–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins crenate; scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2; paired; spreading, or erect; unilateral; 6–22 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; 0.3–0.5 mm wide. Raceme-bases filiform.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels angular; unequal; 0.5–3.5 mm long; smooth, or scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 2.9–3 mm long; with hairs extending 0.2–0.5 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume oblong; 0.66–0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume hairs white, or purple. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; pubescent; bearing white hairs, or purple hairs; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; gibbous; 3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; yellow; keeled. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FZ.

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