Digitaria parviflora

HABIT Perennial. Cataphylls evident. Rhizomes elongated. Culms erect; 40–90 cm long; 4–7 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous. Leaf-sheaths without keel; antrorsely scabrous; outer margin glabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5–4 mm long; erose; obtuse, or acute. Leaf-blades 3–35 cm long; 3–8 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 4–15; digitate; ascending; unilateral; 6–20 cm long; bearing 50–80 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 2–7 cm long. Rhachis angular; 0.3–0.4 mm wide; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in pairs, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2–4 in the cluster. Pedicels 0.8–1.5 mm long; scabrous; glabrous; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or obovate; dorsally compressed; 1.6–2.1 mm long; 0.6–0.7 mm wide; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.2–0.8 mm long; 0.1–0.4 length of spikelet; membranous; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex obtuse, or acute. Upper glume elliptic; 1.6–2 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; prominently veined; glabrous, or pubescent; hairy between veins, or between veins but central interspaces glabrous; obtuse, or acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.6–2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; without keel. Lemma surface reticulate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Webster 1993.

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