Poaceae
Digitaria

Digitaria abludens (Roem. & Schult.) Veldkamp

First published in Blumea 21: 53 (1973)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is China (S. Henan to Yunnan) to Tropical Asia. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms decumbent; 30-60 cm long; without nodal roots, or rooting from lower nodes. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface, or pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-2 mm long; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 7-8 cm long; 3 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous; rough on both sides; glabrous; hairless except near base. Leaf-blade margins scaberulous. Leaf-blade apex attenuate; filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 3-5; digitate; unilateral; 6-7 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1-4 cm long. Rhachis angular; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing lax. Spikelets spreading; in pairs, or in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster, or 3 in the cluster. Pedicels filiform; scabrous; glabrous; tip widened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 1.3-1.5 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 1.3-1.5 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure. Upper glume lanceolate; 0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; 3-5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins; with capitate hairs. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 5(-7) -veined; pubescent; hairy between veins; with capitate hairs; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.3-1.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp.
Distribution
Asia-temperate: China. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia.
Reference
Paniceae. Bor 1993.
[GB]

Morphology General Habit
Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 50-60 cm long; 3-5 -noded. Leaf-sheaths 3-14 cm long; pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5 mm long. Leaf-blades 4-11 cm long; 3 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex attenuate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 4-8; digitate; unilateral; 4-9 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 2-4 cm long. Rhachis angular; scaberulous on margins. Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels terete; unequal; 1-5 mm long; scaberulous; tip cupuliform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 1.3-1.5 mm long; 1 mm wide; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets obovate; dorsally compressed; gibbous; 1.3-1.5 mm long; 1 mm wide; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume obovate; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; hairy between veins. Upper glume apex obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret obovate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pubescent; hairy between veins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.2-1.4 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light brown; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma lateral veins obscure. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.
Distribution
Africa: west-central tropical.
Reference
Paniceae. Van der Veken 1993.
[GB]

Sources

  • 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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 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 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2022 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0