Digitaria cuatrecasasii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 30–40 cm long; 1–1.3 mm diam. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths 2–3.5 cm long; pubescent; outer margin hairy. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2 mm long; erose; truncate. Leaf-blades 5.5–23 cm long; 3.5–4.5 mm wide; dark green. Leaf-blade surface pilose; hairy adaxially.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 2–4; paired, or digitate; unilateral; 4.5–15 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0.7–1.2 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.5 mm wide; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels 0.5–3.5 mm long; scaberulous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 2.2–2.5 mm long; 0.9–1 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1.3–1.7 mm long; 0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins transversely connected at apex. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; with unevenly spaced veins; glabrous; acute. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.5 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.2–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Lodicules 2; cuneate; 0.2 mm long; membranous; truncate. Anthers 3; 0.8–1.1 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 1.2–1.3 mm long. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.

DISTRIBUTION South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, and western South America.

NOTES Paniceae. Vega & Rugolo 2006.

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