Poaceae
Digitaria

Digitaria panicea (Sw.) Urb.

First published in Symb. Antill. 8: 23 (1920)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Florida to Central America, Caribbean. It grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Morphology General Habit
Annual; caespitose. Culms erect; 20-45 cm long. Leaf-sheaths smooth; glabrous on surface. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades erect, or ascending; flexuous; conduplicate, or involute; 5-10 cm long; 3-6 mm wide. Leaf-blade surface smooth; glabrous. Leaf-blade apex acuminate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 3-5; digitate; erect, or ascending; unilateral; 5-10 cm long. Rhachis narrowly winged; angular; 0.75 mm wide. Spikelet packing lax. Spikelets in pairs, or in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 2-3 in the cluster. Pedicels pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Spikelets
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 1.25-1.5 mm long; falling entire.
Fertile
Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; acute; 1.25-1.5 mm long; falling entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Glume
Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 3-5 -veined. Upper glume surface pubescent; with capitate hairs. 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; 3-5 -veined; pubescent; with capitate hairs; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.25-1.5 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; dark brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous.
Distribution
North America: Mexico. South America: Caribbean.
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

  • 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