Poaceae
Digitaria

Digitaria arenicola (Swallen) Beetle

First published in Leafl. W. Bot. 6: 162 (1951)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Texas to Mexico (Tamaulipas). It is a perennial and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose; clumped loosely. Rhizomes elongated. Culms 30-60 cm long. Culm-nodes glabrous, or pubescent. Leaves cauline. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 0.4-1 mm long; entire, or lacerate; truncate. Leaf-blades flat, or conduplicate; 5-11.5 cm long; 3-4.5 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a panicle; terminal and axillary; deciduous as a whole. Panicle open; ovate; effuse; 12-24 cm long; 19-40 cm wide. Primary panicle branches spreading; 20-21 cm long. Panicle branches capillary; straight. Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3.5-4.6 mm long; 0.8-1 mm wide; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 3.5-4.6 mm long; 0.8-1 mm wide; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes dissimilar; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.2-0.5 mm long; 0.05-0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline. Upper glume elliptic; 3-3.8 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5-7 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous to villous; hairy between veins. Upper glume apex acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 3-3.8 mm long; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5-7 -veined; pubescent to villous; hairy between veins; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3-3.7 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 1.1-1.4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; 1.5-2 mm long.
Distribution
North America: south-central USA.
Reference
Paniceae. Fl N Amer 2007.
[GB]

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

  • 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 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