Digitaria siderograpta

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; slender; 8–40 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–15 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–3; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 1–7 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–5 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular.

Spikelets in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3–5 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; ciliate; hairy at tip; with 0.5–1 mm long hairs.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume ovate; 0.15–0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; pubescent; with capitate hairs; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

FRUIT Caryopsis flattened.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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