Digitaria ternata

HABIT Annual; caespitose. Culms geniculately ascending; 20–100 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–25(–40) cm long; 3–8 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–11; digitate; unilateral; 3–23 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; with sharp-edged midrib.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; ciliate; hairy at tip; with 0.2–1 mm long hairs.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.8–2.7 mm long; with hairs extending 0.2–0.8 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 0.66–0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; with clavate hairs. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5(–9) -veined; with unevenly spaced veins (3 central veins approximate); pubescent, or pilose; hairy between veins (generally or in stripes); with clavate hairs; bearing hairs 0.2–0.8 mm long; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.8–2.7 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown, or black; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

FRUIT Caryopsis flattened.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south. Asia-temperate: Arabia and China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia. North America: Mexico. South America: Caribbean and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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