Digitaria violascens

HABIT Annual; mat forming. Stolons absent. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 20–60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 3–25 cm long; 2–7 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes (2–)3–6(–9); digitate; unilateral; 3–14 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; with rounded midrib.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.2–2 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 0.8–0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3(–5) -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous, or pubescent; with verruculose hairs. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; puberulous, or pubescent; with verruculose hairs; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.2–2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown to black; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: north, east tropical, south, and western Indian ocean. Asia-temperate: Caucasus, western Asia, China, and eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Australasia: Australia and New Zealand. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: south-central USA and southeast USA. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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