Digitaria singularis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 40–50 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes brown. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long; erose; truncate. Leaf-blades 7–15 cm long; 1–2.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous; hairless throughout, or except near base.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1(–3); single; unilateral; 6–10 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; 0.8–0.9 mm wide; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels angular; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.2–2.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume elliptic; 2–2.1 mm long; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins; with clavate hairs. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; prominently veined; pubescent; with clavate hairs; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.3 mm long; 0.1 length of lemma. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.2–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.4 mm long. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Paraguay 1995.

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