Digitaria tenuifolia

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; slender; 10–20 cm long. Culm-nodes brown; pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2–4 mm long. Leaf-blades filiform; involute; 5–15 cm long; 0.5–1 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface papillose; rough on both sides.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1; single; erect; unilateral; 3–5 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; 0.2–0.3 mm wide; smooth on margins.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels angular; unequal; 1–3.5 mm long; scaberulous; tip rectangular.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 2.8–3.4(–4) mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.3–0.5 mm long; 0.05–0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5(–7) -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5(–7) -veined; pubescent; with dorsal tufts of hair (at base); 2 hair tufts in all; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 2.5–3.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; mid-green; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FZ.

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