Digitaria pseudodiagonalis Chiov.

Morphology General Habit

Annual. Culms erect, or geniculately ascending; 15-60 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 5-30 cm long; 2-7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 3-30; borne along a central axis; erect, or ascending; unilateral; 2-12 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 1-12 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelets in pairs, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2-6 in the cluster. Pedicels setose; hairy at tip.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 0.8-1.2 mm long; falling entire.

Fertile

Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 0.8-1.2 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 oblate; 0.1 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; 0 -veined. Upper glume primary vein absent. Upper glume lateral veins absent. Upper glume apex truncate.

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; glabrous; obtuse. Fertile lemma elliptic; 0.8-1.2 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: west tropical, west-central tropical, northeast tropical, east tropical, southern tropical, and western Indian ocean.

Reference

Paniceae. FTEA.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton, S. M. Phillips & S. A. Renvoize. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1974

Morphology General Habit

Annual; culms erect or ascending, 15–60 cm. high.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-blades 5–30 cm. long, 2–7 mm. wide, glabrous, acuminate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence of 3–30 subfastigiate racemes borne upon a central axis 1–12 cm. long; racemes 2–12 cm. long, with a slender triquetrous rhachis bearing spikelets in groups of 2–6; pedicel-tips bearing several white setae overtopping the spikelets.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets elliptic, 0.8–1.2 mm. long; lower glume absent; upper glume reduced to a tiny hyaline scale; lower lemma as long as the spikelet, 3(rarely 5)-nerved, glabrous; fruit ellipsoid, chestnut brown.

Habitat

Weedy places beside paths and old farmland; 1000–2000 m.

Distribution

T3 T7 U2

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

Morphology General Habit

A loosely caespitose or solitary growing, slender to rather robust annual.

Morphology Culms

Culms 20–80 cm., erect or ascending, glabrous, nodes dark, hairy.

Morphology Leaves Leaf sheaths

Leaf sheaths glabrous to loosely hairy.

Morphology Leaves Ligules

Ligule 0.5–1.5 mm. long, truncate, ciliate.

Morphology Leaves Leaf lamina

Leaf laminae 5–25 × 0.2–0.5 cm., linear, flat, scaberulous on the superior surface, glabrous on the inferior surface, scabrous along the margin.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence composed of (3)5–17 racemes, erect to very slightly arching, paired or solitary along a well developed common axis.

Morphology Leaves Rachis

Rhachis triquetrous, scarcely winged, up to 0.3 mm. wide, smooth or scabrous, margins scabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel

Pedicels 3–5-nate, triangular to compressed, scabrous, broadened at the apex, bearing a coronula of (1) 2–6 long bristle hairs, these often overtopping the spikelet.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets

Spikelets 0.6–1.3 mm. long, ovate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume

Inferior glume absent. Superior glume very short, truncate, nerveless, glabrous, hyaline.

Inferior

Inferior glume absent. Inferior lemma as long as the spikelet or somewhat shorter, rarely only 1/3 of the spikelet, ovate, 3-nerved, glabrous, hyaline.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Lemma

Superior lemma as long as the spikelet, ovate, acute, slightly to prominently papillose, conspicuously shining, dark brown. Inferior lemma as long as the spikelet or somewhat shorter, rarely only 1/3 of the spikelet, ovate, 3-nerved, glabrous, hyaline.

Superior

Superior lemma as long as the spikelet, ovate, acute, slightly to prominently papillose, conspicuously shining, dark brown. Superior glume very short, truncate, nerveless, glabrous, hyaline.

Gramineae, W. D. Clayton. Flora of West Tropical Africa 3:2. 1972

Morphology General Habit

Erect grass about 60 cm. high.