Digitaria curtigluma

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Culms 60–150 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1–2 mm long. Leaf-blades 20–44 cm long; 2–5 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–5; digitate; unilateral; 5–15 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2–7 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; 0.5–0.7 mm wide. Spikelet packing lax.

Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile, or sessile and pedicelled. Pedicels 2–3 mm long.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 2.3–2.7 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic, or oblong; 0.6–0.8 mm long; 0.25–0.33 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex emarginate.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 0.8 length of spikelet; membranous; 3–5 -veined; pubescent; hairy below; with capitate hairs; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.3–2.7 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown, or black; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION North America: Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl Nov Gal 1994.

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