Digitaria sacchariflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths thickened and forming a bulb; pubescent. Culms erect; 40–120 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 10–30 cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–10; borne along a central axis; erect, or ascending; unilateral; 4–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10–30 cm long. Rhachis angular.

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 lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 4–5.5 mm long; with hairs extending 1–2 mm beyond apex; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated below basal sterile floret.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.5 mm long; 0.15 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.75 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface villous. Upper glume hairs white, or yellow. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 4–5.5 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; glabrous; ciliate on margins; acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3.5–4.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Gr Bolivia 1997.

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