Digitaria pseudodiagonalis

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–30 cm long; 2–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–30; borne along a central axis; erect, or ascending; unilateral; 2–12 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–12 cm long. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets in pairs, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2–6 in the cluster. Pedicels setose; hairy at tip.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 0.8–1.2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume oblate; 0.1 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex truncate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3(–5) -veined; glabrous; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 0.8–1.2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

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

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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