Dactyloctenium Willd.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips And S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit

Tufted or stoloniferous annuals or perennials

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades linear, flat or loosely folded; ligule membranous, truncate, often ciliolate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence digitate, composed of several linear to narrowly oblong secund spikes which disarticulate at maturity from the top of the culm (very tardily in some species); uppermost spikelets abortive, the spike terminating in a pointed extension of the flattened rhachis

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets several-flowered, elliptic to ovate, laterally compressed, biseriate, closely overlapping, disarticulating above the glumes but not between the florets; glumes 1-nerved, keeled, subequal, shorter than the lemmas, persistent, the lower sharply acute, the upper with a stout spreading awn usually arising just below the broadly rounded emarginate tip; lemmas 3-nerved, with the lateral nerves shorter than the lemmas and obscure, keeled, membranous, glabrous, the tip entire, acute to shortly awned; palea subequalling the lemma, keels sometimes winged

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Grain angular, ornamented, enclosed within a free hyaline pericarp which ruptures to release the grain.

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

Annuals or perennials, with flat leaf-blades and 2–several short thick spikes, which are digitate and widely spreading at the summit of the culms

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 3–5-flowered, compressed, sessile and closely imbricate, in 2 rows along one side of the rather narrow flat rhachis, the end projecting in a point beyond the spikelets; rhachilla disarticulating above the first glume and between the florets; glumes somewhat unequal, broad, 1-nerved, the first persistent upon the rhachis, the second mucronate or short-awned below the tip, deciduous; lemmas firm, broad, keeled, acuminate or short-awned, 3-nerved, the lateral nerves indistinct, the upper floret reduced; palea about as long as the lemma

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seed subglobose, ridged or wrinkled, enclosed in a thin, early disappearing pericarp.

Distribution

A small warm-climate genus of 10 species, chiefly African.

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Morphology General Habit

Annual (8), or perennial (5). Stolons absent (7), or present (7). Culms erect (3/11), or geniculately ascending (6/11), or decumbent (8/11), or prostrate (1/11); 3-34.76-160 cm long; without nodal roots (1/8), or rooting from lower nodes (8/8). Lateral branches ample (1/2), or suffrutescent (1/2). Ligule an eciliate membrane (3), or a ciliolate membrane (10), or a ciliate membrane (1). Leaf-blades herbaceous (11), or coriaceous (2); stiff (2), or firm (11). Leaf-blade apex muticous (11), or pungent (2).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes single (1), or paired (2), or digitate (12); not compacted (5/12), or in a head (7/12); erect (1), or ascending (12), or spreading (3); linear (7), or oblong (8); unilateral. Rhachis deciduous from axis; flattened; terminating in a barren extension; extension subulate (3), or bristle-like (10). Spikelet packing broadside to rhachis; crowded; 2 -rowed. Spikelets pectinate (12/12); solitary. Fertile spikelets sessile.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets (1), or 2 fertile florets (4), or 3-4 fertile florets (11), or 5 fertile florets (8), or 6 fertile florets (4), or 7 fertile florets (2), or 8-9 fertile florets (1); with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate (1), or elliptic (2), or oblong (1), or ovate (11); laterally compressed; 2.3-4.447-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Spikelet callus glabrous (1/2), or pubescent (1/2), or pilose (1/2).

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets (1), or 2 fertile florets (4), or 3-4 fertile florets (11), or 5 fertile florets (8), or 6 fertile florets (4), or 7 fertile florets (2), or 8-9 fertile florets (1); with diminished florets at the apex. Spikelets lanceolate (1), or elliptic (2), or oblong (1), or ovate (11); laterally compressed; 2.3-4.447-8 mm long; breaking up at maturity; disarticulating above glumes but not between florets. Spikelet callus glabrous (1/2), or pubescent (1/2), or pilose (1/2).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes persistent; shorter than spikelet (12), or reaching apex of florets (1), or exceeding apex of florets (1); parallel to lemmas (11), or recurved at apex (2). Lower glume lanceolate (2), or elliptic (3), or oblong (4), or ovate (6); 0.7-0.9962-1.3 length of upper glume; membranous (5/5); 1-keeled; wingless (10), or winged on keel (4); 1 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent (12), or distinct (1). Lower glume apex truncate (1), or acute (12); muticous (12), or mucronate (1). Upper glume elliptic (3), or oblong (7), or ovate (3), or obovate (1); 0.4-0.6423-1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Upper glume apex truncate (6), or obtuse (2), or acute (5); mucronate (1), or awned; 1 -awned. Upper glume awn terminal (5), or subapical (8).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Fertile lemma ovate (3/3); not gibbous (9), or gibbous (4); lanceolate in profile (6/10), or elliptic in profile (1/10), or ovate in profile (5/10); membranous; keeled; 1 -veined (1), or 3 -veined (12). Lemma midvein without distinctive roughness (3), or scaberulous (8), or scabrous (2). Lemma lateral veins obscure (8/8). Lemma apex acute (9), or acuminate (2), or setaceously attenuate (1), or cuspidate (3); muticous (5), or mucronate (9), or awned (2); 1 -awned (2/2). Palea 1 length of lemma; 2 -veined (12/12). Palea keels wingless (10), or winged (5); smooth (9), or scaberulous (4); eciliate (11), or ciliolate (2). Apical sterile florets resembling fertile though underdeveloped.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Anthers 3.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Caryopsis with free soft pericarp (12/12); ellipsoid (2/9), or oblong (1/9), or orbicular (1/9), or obovoid (7/9); laterally compressed (1/1); granular (5/9), or rugose (4/9).

Distribution

Europe (1), or Africa (12), or Temperate Asia (4), or Tropical Asia (3), or Australasia (5), or Pacific (1), or North America (1), or South America (1).

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial; ligule membranous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of paired or digitate racemes, these bearing imbricate spikelets and terminating in a bare pointed rhachis-extension, eventually disarticulating from the stem though sometimes very tardily

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets several-flowered, disarticulating above the glumes, but usually not between the florets; upper glume with an oblique awn from just below the tip; lemmas strongly keeled, membranous, glabrous, acute to shortly awned, the tip often recurved

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Grain with free pericarp.

Distribution

13 species around the Indian Ocean from Natal to northern India, one species in Australia and one cosmopolitan weed.