Poaceae
Digitaria

Digitaria killeenii Vega & Rúgolo

First published in Syst. Bot. 27: 252 (2002)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Bolivia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Butt sheaths persistent and investing base of culm; with fibrous dead sheaths. Culms erect; robust; 180-200 cm long; 3.5-4 mm diam. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous. Lateral branches ample; arising from mid culm. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths 22-29 cm long; longer than adjacent culm internode. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 58-75 cm long; 8-13 mm wide; 6-55 cm long at summit of culm. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Peduncle glabrous. Racemes 4-9; digitate; unilateral; 4-9 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; 1-1.5 mm wide; scabrous on margins. Spikelets in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3-5 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal; 0.5-5 mm long; scabrous; glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or obovate; dorsally compressed; 3-3.2 mm long; 1.3-1.4 mm wide; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic, or obovate; dorsally compressed; 3-3.2 mm long; 1.3-1.4 mm wide; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure, or two; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.1-0.2 mm long; hyaline. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume elliptic; 2.5-3.8 mm long; membranous; without keels; (3-)5 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins prominent. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins; with clavate hairs. Upper glume margins ciliolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; with palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 2.8-3 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; prominently veined; pilose; hairy between veins; with clavate hairs; ciliolate on margins. Palea of lower sterile floret 0.5 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2.8-3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; purple, or black; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Lodicules 2; 0.7 mm long. Anthers 3; 1.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; 2-2.2 mm long. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum elliptic.
Distribution
South America: western South America.
Reference
Paniceae. FTEA.
[GB]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/128239791/128246093

Conservation
DD - data deficient
[IUCN]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora

    • Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0