Digitaria
divaricatissima (R.Br.) D. K.
Hughes. Bull. Misc. Inform. 314 (1923). Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily
Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Basionym and/or
Replacement Name: Panicum
divaricatissimum R. Br., Prodr. 192 (1810).
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: HT: R. Brown 6118, Australia: Port Jackson (BM; IT:
K).
Recent synonyms:
Digitaria coenicola.
Key references
(books and floras): [1810]. R.Brown, Prodromus (192 as Panicum
divaricatissimum), [1878] G.Bentham, Flora Australiensis 7 (467 as
Panicum divaricatissimum, 468 as Panicum macractinium), [1981] M.Lazarides in
J.Jessop (ed)., Flora of Central Australia (474), [2002] D.Sharp &
B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of Australia, [2008] S.W.L.Jacobs,
R.D.B.Walley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South Wales (216).
Illustrations:
[2008] S.W.L.Jacobs, R.D.B.Whalley & D.J.B.Wheeler, Grasses of New South
Wales, 4th edn (216).
Habit.
Perennial. Rhizomes present. Stolons absent. Culms erect or geniculately
ascending, 2–60 cm tall, 2–7 -noded. Mid-culm internodes glabrous or pubescent.
Mid-culm nodes glabrous or pubescent. Lateral branches simple or sparsely
branched or branched. Leaf-sheaths glabrous on surface or hairy. Ligule an eciliate
membrane, 2–3 mm long, obtuse. Leaf-blades 2–22 cm long, 2.5–7 mm wide.
Leaf-blade surface scabrous, glabrous or indumented.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence subdigitate, with racemose branches. Racemes 4–10, spreading or
radiating, 8–35 cm long. Central inflorescence axis 0–20 cm long.
Spikelets.
Spikelets pedicelled, 2 in the cluster. Fertile spikelets 2-flowered, the lower
floret barren (rarely male), the upper fertile, comprising 1 basal sterile
florets, comprising 1 fertile floret(s), without rachilla extension, linear or
lanceolate, dorsally compressed, 3.2–5.1 mm long. Rhachilla internodes
elongated between glumes.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without
keels, 1–3 -nerved. Upper glume lanceolate or elliptic, 1.7–5 mm long,
membranous, without keels, 3(–5) -nerved. Upper glume surface indumented. Florets.
Basal sterile florets 1, barren, without significant palea. Lemma of lower
sterile floret 100 % of length of spikelet, membranous, 5–7 -nerved, pubescent
or villous; with hollow tubercled-based bristles, or without hollow
tubercled-based bristles.
Fertile lemma 3–5 mm
long, without keel. Lemma apex muticous or mucronate. Lodicules absent or
vestigial or present.
Continental
Distribution: Australasia.
Flora of Australia
Notes. A morphologically diverse species.
In dry sclerophyll
forests, tropical and subtropical sub-humid woodlands, temperate sub-humid
woodlands, and semi-arid shrub woodlands. Flowers mostly Nov.-May.