Digitaria diminuta

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 10–65 cm long; 2–4 -noded. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pubescent. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.4–0.8 mm long. Leaf-blades 3–9 cm long; 0.2–0.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous, or pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–10; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 3.5–15 cm long; bearing 34–80 fertile spikelets on each. Rhachis angular.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels 0.5–1 mm long; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 1.3–1.9 mm long; 0.55–0.75 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.16–0.43 mm long; 0.2 length of spikelet; membranous; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface smooth; glabrous. Lower glume apex emarginate, or obtuse. Upper glume oblong, or ovate; 0.4–0.9 mm long; 0.4 length of spikelet; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex emarginate, or truncate, or obtuse.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1.2–1.8 mm long; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; with equidistant veins, or with unevenly spaced veins; puberulous; hairy between veins but central interspaces glabrous; eciliate on margins. Fertile lemma elliptic, or obovate; 1.2–1.8 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; yellow; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Austral. ms 2015.

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