Digitaria hubbardii

HABIT Perennial; caespitose. Butt sheaths villous. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 20–60 cm long; 3–10 -noded. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths antrorsely scabrous. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades involute; 5–10 cm long; 1–2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; hairy abaxially. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–4; borne along a central axis; spreading; unilateral; 2.5–8 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1.5–4 cm long. Rhachis angular; scaberulous on margins.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; 1 mm long, or 3–5 mm long; tip cupuliform.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acute; 3–3.25 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, or orbicular; 0.5 mm long; 0.15 length of spikelet; membranous. Lower glume apex obtuse. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume hairs 1–1.5 mm long. Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate, or ovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5–7 -veined; pilose; hairy between veins but central interspaces glabrous; with dorsal tufts of hair; 2 hair tufts in all; bearing hairs 1–1.5 mm long; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Australasia: Australia.

NOTES Paniceae. Fl NSW 1993.

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