Poaceae
Digitaria

Digitaria gracillima (Scribn.) Fernald

First published in Rhodora 22: 101 (1920)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Florida. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Perennial; caespitose. Culms 60-80 cm long. Leaf-sheaths hirsute. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades flexuous; flat, or involute; 30-40 cm long; 1-2 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scabrous; rough adaxially.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 2-3; paired, or digitate; unilateral; 30 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 3-6 cm long. Rhachis angular. Spikelet packing lax; irregular. Spikelets in pairs, or in threes, or clustered at each node. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2-4 in the cluster. Pedicels angular.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 2-2.3 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 2-2.3 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 elliptic; 0.5 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex truncate, or obtuse.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets
Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 0.9 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 2-2.3 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma surface striate. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex apiculate. Palea cartilaginous.
Distribution
North America: southeast USA and Mexico.
Reference
Paniceae. N Amer Fl 1994.
[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