Poaceae
Digitaria

Digitaria minoriflora Goetgh.

First published in Bull. Jard. Bot. Natl. Belg. 45: 398 (1975)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Zambia. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora Zambesiaca 10:3. 1989

Morphology General Habit
A loosely caespitose annual.
Morphology Culms
Culms 10–40 cm., erect, glabrous, nodes dark and bearded to subglabrous.
Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths
Leaf sheaths loosely hairy with bulbous-based bristles.
Morphology Leaves Ligules
Ligule 1–2 mm. long, truncate, ciliolate.
Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina
Leaf laminae 5–15 × 0.2–0.5 cm., linear, flat, conspicuously scabrous on both sides, often loosely hairy.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of 7–11 racemes, 3–7 cm. long, erect, scattered along the well developed common axis.
Morphology Leaves Rachis
Rhachis triquetrous, narrowly winged, up to 0.3 mm. broad, smooth with scabrous margins.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels 3-nate, 0.5–2.5 mm. long, triquetrous, scabrous, with long cilia near the broadened apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets 1.5–1.7 mm. long, oblong.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Superior glume 1/3–1/2 of the spikelet, oblong, 1-nerved, hyaline, appressed hairy, hairs slightly undulating, rounded at the apex. Inferior glume absent.
Inferior
Inferior lemma as long as the spikelet, oblong, 3–5-nerved, appressed hairy. Inferior glume absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma
Superior lemma as long as the spikelet, oblong, acuminate, reddish brown. Inferior lemma as long as the spikelet, oblong, 3–5-nerved, appressed hairy.
Superior
Superior lemma as long as the spikelet, oblong, acuminate, reddish brown. Superior glume 1/3–1/2 of the spikelet, oblong, 1-nerved, hyaline, appressed hairy, hairs slightly undulating, rounded at the apex.
[FZ]

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]

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Culms erect; 10-40 cm long. Culm-internodes distally glabrous. Culm-nodes brown; glabrous, or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths pilose; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule a ciliolate membrane; 1-2 mm long; truncate. Leaf-blades 5-15 cm long; 2-5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough on both sides; glabrous, or pilose.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 7-11; borne along a central axis; unilateral; 3-7 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; 0.3 mm wide; smooth on surface; scabrous on margins. Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels angular; unequal; 0.5-2.5 mm long; scabrous; ciliate; hairy at tip; with 0.5-1 mm long hairs; tip widened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 1.5-1.7 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets oblong; dorsally compressed; 1.5-1.7 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; 0.33-0.5 length of spikelet; hyaline; without keels; 1 -veined. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume surface pilose. Upper glume apex obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret oblong; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 3-5 -veined; pubescent; acute. Fertile lemma oblong; 1.5-1.7 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.
Distribution
Africa: southern tropical.
Reference
Paniceae. FZ 1997.
[GB]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • 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

  • 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