Digitaria stenostachya

HABIT Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 30–50 cm long; 3–10 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous; glabrous on surface; outer margin glabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.6–1 mm long; truncate, or acute. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 5–12 cm long; 1–3 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–3; paired, or borne along a central axis; unilateral; 3–9 cm long; bearing 20–30 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 0–1.5 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.3–0.4 mm wide; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels 0.3–0.5 mm long; scabrous; glabrous; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 2.5–2.75 mm long; 0.65–0.9 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.7–1.9 mm long; 0.65–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliate. Upper glume apex acute, or acuminate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; prominently veined; pilose; hairy between veins but central interspaces glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate, or elliptic; 2.5–2.75 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; without keel. Lemma surface reticulate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Webster 1993.

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