Digitaria insularis (L.) Mez ex Ekman

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Guiana Shield, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–2500 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Bolívar, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Cundinamarca, Guaviare, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Risaralda, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vaupés, Vichada.

Habit

Herb.

Conservation

IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC. National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial; caespitose. Rootstock evident. Butt sheaths pubescent. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 70-120 cm long; 5-10 mm diam. Culm-nodes brown; bearded. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 2-4 mm long. Leaf-blades 12-40 cm long; 7-15 mm wide. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes numerous; 20-50; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 10-15 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 8-30 cm long. Rhachis wingless; angular. Spikelets in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 3.5-4 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated below basal sterile floret.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acuminate; 3.5-4 mm long; falling entire. Rhachilla internodes elongated below basal sterile floret.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Glumes two; dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblong; 0.5-1 mm long; 0.15-0.25 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface villous. Upper glume apex acute.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret lanceolate; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; villous; acuminate. Fertile lemma lanceolate; 3-3.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.

Distribution

Asia-temperate: eastern Asia. Asia-tropical: Malesia and Papuasia. Pacific: south-central, northwestern, and north-central. North America: southwest USA, south-central USA, southeast USA, and Mexico. South America: Mesoamericana, Caribbean, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.

Reference

Paniceae. Gr Bahia.

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology

Alt. 0 - 2500 m.

Morphology General Habit

Herb.

Conservation

Least concern.

Distribution

Native from Colombia.

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

Morphology Culms

Culms tufted, coarse, erect, 50–150 cm tall; leaf-blades flat, usually scabrous, up to 25 cm long and 15 mm broad; sheaths sparsely silky-hairy chiefly along the margins; ligule distinct, 1 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence a greenish to pale tawny panicle mostly 15–20 cm long; spikelets 4–5 mm long, silky-hairy.

Distribution

Grand Cayman , Little Cayman, Cayman Brac. Widely distributed in the warmer parts of America,.

Ecology

Chiefly occurring in open ground and waste places throughout the West Indies at low elevations.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/100509567/100509758

Conservation

LC - least concern

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: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

cabezona, cola de zorro, hierba de zorra, rabo de zorro

Use Gene Sources

Crop wild relatives which may possess beneficial traits of value in breeding programmes (State of the World's Plants 2016).