Craspedorhachis digitata

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms erect; 50–75 cm long; wiry. Ligule a ciliolate membrane. Leaf-blades involute; 2–10 cm long; 1–2 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 1–5; digitate; unilateral; 6–9 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; flattened; smooth on margins, or scaberulous on margins.

Spikelets appressed; solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; 2.4–3.1 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating below each fertile floret.

GLUMES Glumes lower persistent, upper deciduous; dissimilar; with lower wider than upper; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 2.4–3.1 mm long; 1 length of upper glume; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein scaberulous. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume lanceolate; 2.4–3.1 mm long; 2 length of adjacent fertile lemma; coriaceous; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Fertile lemma ovate; dorsally compressed; 1.2 mm long; hyaline; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface pubescent; hairy on veins. Lemma apex obtuse. Palea hyaline. Palea keels ciliolate.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1–2 mm long.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical.

NOTES Cynodonteae. WDC.

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