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GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora
Descriptions
W.D. Clayton, M. Vorontsova, K.T. Harman & H. Williamson
© Copyright The Board of Trustees, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Dignathia ciliata
HABIT Perennial. Culms geniculately ascending, or decumbent; 30–60 cm long; woody. Lateral branches suffrutescent. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades deciduous at the ligule; involute; 3–6 cm long; 1–2 mm wide; stiff. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes; exserted, or embraced at base by subtending leaf.
Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; closely spaced; in a multilateral false spike; spreading; oblong; sinuous; unilateral; 0.7–0.9 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing 1 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis (2–)3.5–7 cm long. Rhachis deciduous from axis; flattened; villous on margins; terminating in a sterile spikelet.
Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile.
STERILE SPIKELETS Apical sterile spikelets barren; 1 in number.
FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets ovate; laterally compressed; gibbous; rostrate; 4.5–7 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
GLUMES Glumes similar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma; recurved at apex. Lower glume lanceolate; gibbous; 4.5–7 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein tuberculate; ciliate. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface glabrous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume hairs 1.5–2 mm long. Lower glume apex caudate; awned; 1 -awned. Lower glume awn 1–1.5 mm long; ciliolate. Upper glume lanceolate; gibbous; 4.5–7 mm long; 1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; indurate; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled. Upper glume primary vein tuberculate; ciliate. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume hairs 1.5–2 mm long. Upper glume apex caudate; awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn 1–1.5 mm long; hispidulous.
FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; gibbous; 4–6 mm long; cartilaginous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliate; hairy all along. Lemma apex acuminate; awned; 1 -awned. Principal lemma awn 1 mm long overall. Palea 2 -veined.
FLOWER Anthers 3.
FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
DISTRIBUTION Africa: northeast tropical.
NOTES Cynodonteae. TAC.
Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.
