Digitaria andicola

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15–35 cm long; 3 -noded. Culm-internodes 8 cm long; striate. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Lateral branches lacking. Leaf-sheaths 3–9 cm long; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane, or a ciliolate membrane; 0.5–2 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades 8–17 cm long; 1.5–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1–4; single, or paired, or digitate; unilateral; 5–11 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–4.5 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.4–0.6 mm wide; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3–4 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; 1–4 mm long; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or ovate; dorsally compressed; acute; 2–2.5 mm long; 0.8 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 0.8–1.5 mm long; 0.4–0.6 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous; with clavate hairs. Upper glume apex emarginate, or obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; puberulous; acuminate. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.3–0.5 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.25 mm long; membranous; truncate.

DISTRIBUTION South America: western South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Giraldo-Canas 2006.

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