Poaceae
Digitaria

Digitaria tomentosa (J.Koenig ex Rottler) Henrard

First published in Blumea 1: 100 (1934)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is India, Sri Lanka, W. Indo-China. It is an annual or perennial and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms decumbent; 30-60 cm long. Leaf-sheaths hirsute; with tubercle-based hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1-2 mm long; entire, or lacerate; truncate, or obtuse. Leaf-blades 10-30 cm long; 6-12 mm wide; flaccid. Leaf-blade surface puberulous, or pubescent, or woolly; moderately hairy, or densely hairy. Leaf-blade margins scabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle. Panicle open; ovate to corymbose; effuse; 10-20 cm long; 6-12 cm wide. Primary panicle branches 6-12 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; flexuous; bearded in axils. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform; flexuous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 2-2.5 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 2-2.5 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes both absent or obscure.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; pubescent; hairy between veins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2-2.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; light 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; 1-1.25 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; obovoid; 1.4 mm long. Embryo 0.33 length of caryopsis. Hilum punctiform.
Distribution
Asia-tropical: India and Indo-China.
Reference
Paniceae. Bor 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