Digitaria planiculmis

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Cataphylls evident. Basal innovations extravaginal. Culms erect; 40–80 cm long; 7–10 -noded; swollen at the base. Culm-internodes elliptical in section. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths mostly shorter than adjacent culm internode. Leaf-sheath auricles erect. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blade base cordate. Leaf-blades 4–7 cm long; 2.75–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins cartilaginous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle glabrous.

Racemes 3–4; digitate; unilateral; 5–10 cm long. Rhachis scaberulous on margins. Raceme-bases glabrous.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile and pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels scabrous.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; compressed slightly; 2.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5 mm long; 0.2 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume ovate; 1.2 mm long; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface puberulous. Upper glume margins eciliate, or ciliolate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; with unevenly spaced veins; puberulous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; pallid; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: western Indian ocean.

NOTES Paniceae. Camus 2007.

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