Digitaria flaccida

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths glabrous, or pubescent; persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; 30–100 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5–30 cm long; 1–3 mm wide.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 5–30; borne along a central axis; simply spaced, or closely spaced; flexuous; unilateral; 5–10 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 10–30 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Raceme-bases filiform; 20–50 mm long.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; pubescent; hairy at tip.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2.5–4 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; gibbous; 0.5–0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent, or pilose; hairy generally, or between veins. Upper glume margins ciliate. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; pilose; hairy below; hairy between veins (1st and 2nd laterals); with dorsal tufts of hair; 2 hair tufts in all; ciliate on margins (above); bearing purple hairs; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.5–4 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; pallid; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: west-central tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and south.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

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