Poaceae
Dignathia

Dignathia gracilis Stapf

First published in Hooker's Icon. Pl. 30: t. 2950 (1911)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Somalia to Mozambique. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 20-50 cm long; wiry. Ligule a ciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 2-9 cm long; 2-4 mm wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes numerous; borne along a central axis; in a multilateral false spike; oblong; sinuous; unilateral; 0.3-0.6 cm long; bearing few fertile spikelets; bearing (1-)2 fertile spikelets on each. Central inflorescence axis 3-8 cm long. Rhachis deciduous from axis; flattened; terminating in a sterile spikelet. Raceme-bases cuneate; 2 mm long; pilose; hairy on margins. Spikelets solitary, or in pairs. Fertile spikelets sessile; 1-2 in the cluster; subequal.
Sterile
Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary; 1 in number.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets orbicular; laterally compressed; 2-3.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures. Apical sterile spikelets rudimentary; 1 in number.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets orbicular; laterally compressed; 2-3.5 mm long; falling entire; deciduous with accessory branch structures.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; exceeding apex of florets; firmer than fertile lemma. Lower glume lanceolate; gibbous; 2-2.5 mm long; 0.7-1 length of upper glume; coriaceous; 1-keeled; 1 -veined. Lower glume primary vein ciliolate. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume surface scabrous. Lower glume margins ciliolate. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume orbicular; gibbous; 2-3.5 mm long; 1.1-1.7 length of adjacent fertile lemma; indurate; with hyaline margins; 1-keeled. Upper glume primary vein ciliolate. Upper glume surface scabrous. Upper glume margins ciliolate. Upper glume apex caudate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Fertile lemma ovate; 1.5-2 mm long; membranous; keeled; 3 -veined. Lemma midvein ciliolate. Lemma surface glabrous, or puberulous. Lemma apex acute; mucronate. Palea 2 -veined.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 1 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; ellipsoid; dorsally compressed; plano-convex; 1.5 mm long.
Distribution
Africa: northeast tropical, east tropical, and southern tropical.
Reference
Cynodonteae. FTEA.
[GB]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution
C2; S2, 3; Kenya, Mozambique
Ecology
Altitude range 0–170 m.
Morphology General Habit
Annual up to 50 cm high though usually much less
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 3–8 cm long; racemelets comprising (1–)2 fertile spikelets and a rudiment of 2 gaping glumes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets suborbicular with rostrate tip, 2–3.5 mm long; glumes scaberulous on the body, spinously ciliate on the keel and margins, the lower crescent-shaped, the upper with a strongly gibbous body 1.5–2 mm long drawn out into a stiff pointed beak.
[FSOM]

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

Morphology General Habit
Loosely tufted annual; culms mostly 20–50 cm. high, occasionally less, wiry, erect.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades 2–9 cm. long, 2–4 mm. wide.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 3–8 cm. long, exserted from the sheath, the clusters contiguous to approximate; clusters 3–6 mm. long, comprising (1–)2 fertile spikelets and a reduced terminal spikelet of 2 gaping sterile glumes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets suborbicular with rostrate tip, 2–3.5 mm. long; glumes scaberulous, ± spinously ciliolate on keel and margins; lower glume crescent-shaped, shorter than the spikelet; upper glume with strongly gibbous body 1.5–2 mm. long, drawn out into a stiff pointed beak above.
Figures
Fig. 110 p. 405.
Habitat
Coastal bushland; sea-level to 15 m.
Distribution
K7 T3
[FTEA]

Gramineae, T. Cope. Flora Zambesiaca 10:2. 1999

Morphology General Habit
Annual up to 50 cm tall, wiry, erect; leaf laminas 2–9 cm × 2–4 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 3–8 cm long, the racemelets approximate; racemelets 3–6 mm long, comprising (1)2 fertile spikelets and a reduced terminal spikelet, this comprising 2 gaping sterile glumes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets suborbicular with rostrate apex, 2–3.5 mm long; glumes scaberulous, ± spinously ciliate on the keel and margins, the inferior crescent-shaped, the superior with strongly gibbous body 1.5–2 mm long drawn out into a stiff pointed beak above.
[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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

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

  • Flora of Somalia

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • 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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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