Digitaria tisserantii

HABIT Annual. Culms 60–100 cm long; 2–2.5 mm diam. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliate membrane; 0.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 5–10 cm long; 3–5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–10; digitate, or borne along a central axis; unilateral; 14–18 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–8 cm long. Rhachis subterete. Spikelet packing distant. Raceme-bases filiform; 10–15 mm long.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; terete; flexuous, or sinuous; unequal; 5–18 mm long; ciliate; hairy at tip; with 1–1.5 mm long hairs; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 2 mm long; 1 mm wide; with hairs extending 0.5 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume ovate; 0.8 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; pilose; acute. Fertile lemma ovate; 2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical and northeast tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. Jac-Fel 1993.

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