Digitaria polyphylla

HABIT Perennial. Rhizomes elongated; scaly; hairy. Culms 20–40 cm long. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1 mm long. Leaf-blades 4–10 cm long; 2–4 mm wide. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence composed of racemes.

Racemes 3–4; digitate; erect; unilateral; 2–8 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; with sharp-edged midrib; 0.5 mm wide; smooth on surface; scabrous on margins.

Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels angular; unequal; 0.5–2 mm long; tip widened.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 2.1–2.5 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes two; dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume ovate; 0.6–0.7 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 oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; with equidistant veins; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 2–2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acuminate. Palea cartilaginous.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: southern tropical and south.

NOTES Paniceae. FZ.

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