Digitaria pubiflora

HABIT Perennial; caespitose; clumped densely. Rhizomes absent, or elongated. Culms erect; 20–70 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent; with simple hairs, or tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.5–2 mm long; entire, or lacerate. Leaf-blades 1.3–7.7 cm long; 1.5–4.7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent; sparsely hairy, or moderately hairy, or densely hairy.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary; deciduous as a whole.

Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 4.5–20 cm long; 5.5–31 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 3.6–17.7 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; straight.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.3–3.3 mm long; 0.6–1 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.1–0.4 mm long; 0.05–0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline. Upper glume elliptic; 1.8–2.9 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous to villous; hairy between veins. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1.8–2.9 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; with equidistant veins; pubescent to villous; hairy between veins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.9–2.6 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea cartilaginous.

FLOWER Anthers 0.3–0.5 mm long.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.3–1.6 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION North America: north-central USA, southwest USA, and south-central USA.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl N Amer 2007.

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