Poaceae
Digitaria

Digitaria caledonica Henrard

First published in Blumea 1: 100 (1934)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is New Caledonia, Fiji. It is an annual and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 20-40 cm long; 5 -noded; with 0.5 of their length below uppermost node. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-1.5 mm long; obtuse. Leaf-blades 10-12 cm long; 3-5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 3-8; digitate; unilateral; 6-11 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1.5-2.5 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; with rounded midrib; scaberulous on margins. Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels scabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 1.5 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 1.5 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume oblong; 1 mm long; 0.66 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 3-5 -veined; glabrous; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.
Distribution
Pacific: southwestern.
Reference
Paniceae. Henrard 1993.
[GB]

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

  • 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 2024. 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 2024. 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