Digitaria redheadii

HABIT Annual; culms solitary, or caespitose. Culms erect; 10–60 cm long. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–3 mm long; erose; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or involute; 1–7 cm long; 1–4 mm wide; dark green, or purple. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade margins smooth.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 15–30; borne along a central axis; spreading, or erect; unilateral; 1–4 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; 0.2–0.4 mm wide. Raceme-bases filiform.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels angular; 1–1.5 mm long; ciliate; hairy above.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 2.3–2.6 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume oblong; spurred; 0.75 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; 2–2.3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; yellow; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical and southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FZ.

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