Digitaria tenuis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 50 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 2–2.5 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades 6–13 cm long; 4–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle 8–15 cm long; glabrous.

Racemes 4–13; digitate; unilateral; 5–12 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1–3 cm long. Rhachis angular; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels unequal; 1–3 mm long; scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 2.7–3.3 mm long; with hairs extending 1–2 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.3–0.5 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume lanceolate; 1.8–2 mm long; 0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3–5 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume hairs white, or tawny. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7–9 -veined; villous; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 2–2.6 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown; without keel. Lemma surface granulose. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION South America: northern South America and Brazil.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Guiana 1995.

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