Poaceae
Digitaria

Digitaria costaricensis R.W.Pohl

First published in Fieldiana, Bot. 38(2): 5 (1976)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico (Veracruz), Central America. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial. Culms decumbent; 40-80 cm long; 1-3 mm diam. Lateral branches ample. Leaf-sheaths pilose; with tubercle-based hairs and reflexed hairs. Ligule an eciliate membrane; 1.5-2.5 mm long; erose. Leaf-blades 8-15 cm long; 3.5-7 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface pubescent; densely hairy; hairy on both sides.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 4-7; digitate; unilateral; 5-11 cm long; with branchlets at base of longer racemes. Central inflorescence axis 2-3 cm long. Rhachis angular; scabrous on margins. Spikelet packing lax. Spikelets appressed; in pairs. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels unequal; 0.5-0.7 mm long, or 2-3 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acute; 3.5-4 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets lanceolate; dorsally compressed; acute; 3.5-4 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes two; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume oblate; 0.3 mm long; 0.1 length of spikelet; hyaline; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex truncate. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 5-7 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; 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; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7-9 -veined; with equidistant veins; pubescent; hairy between veins but central interspaces glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 3-3.2 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; grey; without keel; 3 -veined. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Palea cartilaginous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Anthers 3; 0.9-1.5 mm long; purple.
Distribution
South America: Mesoamericana.
Reference
Paniceae. Fl Costaric 1994.
[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: 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