Digitaria wallichiana

HABIT Perennial. Stolons present. Culms decumbent; 40–80 cm long. Culm-nodes pubescent. Leaf-sheaths hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 3.5 mm long; lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades 5–20 cm long; 2–5 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy on both sides. Leaf-blade margins smooth. Leaf-blade apex acute, or acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 6–25; borne along a central axis; the lowest whorled; unilateral; 3–6 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 6–12 cm long. Rhachis angular; with scattered hairs, or glabrous on surface; smooth on margins, or scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing lax.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels 2–4 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate, or elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 1.5–2.25 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet. Upper glume elliptic; 0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; with hyaline margins; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or puberulous. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; glabrous, or puberulous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.5–2.25 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown; shiny; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 3; 1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.

DISTRIBUTION Asia-tropical: India and Malesia.

NOTES Paniceae. Bor 1993.

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