Digitaria tricholaenoides

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Rhizomes short. Butt sheaths pubescent; persistent and investing base of culm; with compacted dead sheaths. Culms 20–55 cm long. Leaf-sheaths pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 4–20 cm long; 2–7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–3(–7); paired, or digitate; unilateral; 3–13 cm long. Rhachis flattened; 0.7 mm wide.

Spikelets in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3–5 in the cluster. Pedicels terete; unequal; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3–5 mm long; 1 mm wide; with hairs extending 2–3 mm beyond apex; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 1–1.5 mm long; 0.2–0.3 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface villous. Upper glume hairs white, or purple; 1–2 mm long. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; villous; hairy between veins but central interspaces glabrous; bearing white hairs, or purple hairs; bearing hairs 2–4 mm long; acute. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3–5 mm long; chartaceous; much thinner on margins; yellow; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: south and western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. Gr S Afr 1993.

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