Digitaria diminuta Hughes, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1923: 312 (1923)
T: New South Wales: McIntyre
R., J.E.Ker s.n. (holo: K [photo BRI]; iso: BRI).
Illustrations: Henrard
(1950:187); Tothill & Hacker (1983:194, fig 12); Jacobs, Whalley &
Wheeler (2008: 214 as D. breviglumis and 219 as D. orbata).
Perennial.
Flowering culms caespitose, 10–65 cm tall, 2–4-noded. Leaves: sheaths hairy or
glabrous; ligule 0.4–0.8 mm long; blades 3–9 cm long, 0.2–0.5 mm wide, hairy or
glabrous. Inflorescence on a distinct central axis; racemes 4–10, usually
bearing spikelets to base, not long and rigid, 3.5–15 cm long. Pedicels 0.5–1
mm long. Spikelets 34–80 on a typical lowermost primary branch, glabrous,
paired, elliptic, 1.3–1.9 mm long, 0.55–0.75 mm wide. Glumes 2; lower glume
0.16–0.43 mm long, ovate, nerveless, membranous, smooth, glabrous, cleft or
obtuse or rounded; upper glume 0.4–0.9 mm long, ovate to oblong, 3-nerved, with ciliate margins and
submargins, glabrous, rounded or truncate or cleft, muticous. Lower floret;
lemma 1.2–1.8 mm long, glabrous, with a glabrous first internerve space, with
equal internerve spacing or with the first internerve space wider than the
second, with margins or submargins glabrous, 7-nerved; palea lanceolate or ovate. Upper floret overtopping the
lower floret; lemma 1.2–1.8 mm long, yellow, cartilaginous, muricate, elliptic
to obovate, acute, muticous.
Additional specimens
examined: Queensland: COOK
DISTRICT: Mt Mulligan, Apr 1985, Clarkson 5785 (BRI, QRS). BURKE DISTRICT: near source of Poison
Ck, about 90 miles [144 km] N of Hughenden, Mar 1935, Blake 8474 (BRI,
CANB, K, NSW); NORTH KENNEDY DISTRICT: ca 5 miles [8 km] SE of Clarke River,
Telegraph Station, July 1954, S.T.Blake
19434 (BRI, CANB, NSW, PERTH); SOUTH KENNEDY DISTRICT: 21 km NW of Hyde
Park HS, Apr 1992, Thompson BUC569A & Simon (AD, BRI, DNA, NSW,
PERTH); MITCHELL DISTRICT: White Mountains National Park, Apr 2000, Thompson HUG734 (BRI); LEICHHARDT
DISTRICT: N slope of Blackdown Tableland, S of Dingo, May 1976, Jacobs 2592 & Rodd (BRI, NSW);
WARREGO DISTRICT: Charleville, Apr 1936, Blake
11066 (BRI, DNA, PERTH); MARANOA DISTRICT: Boatman Stn, Mar 1947, Everist
2833 (BRI, NSW, K, US); BURNETT DISTRICT: 7-8 miles [11-13 km] S of Eidsvold,
Mar 1966, Blake 22643 (AD, BRI, CANB,
NSW, PERTH); WIDE BAY DISTRICT: 11 miles [17 kms] NW of Gin Gin, Mar 1966, Blake 22410 (AD, BRI, CANB, DNA, MO, K,
L, NSW, PERTH); DARLING DOWNS DISTRICT: N of Jackson, Mar 1953, Blake 19138 (AD, BRI, K, MO, NSW);
MORETON DISTRICT: Mt. Ngungun, Mar 1931, Hubbard 5925 (BRI, K). New South
Wales: Slopes of Blue Mts towards Katoomba, Apr
1931, Hubbard 8435 (BRI, K, NSW).
Distribution and
habitat: Tropical and subtropical Queensland
to central New South Wales
(Map 7). It grows in a range of Eucalyptus, Corymbia, Acacia, Callitris and
Melaleuca woodlands on a variety of
soils.
Phenology: Flowering
throughout the year.
Notes: D.
diminuta differs from D. breviglumis by having at least four inflorescence branches and a
7-nerved lower lemma. In addition the upper glume is 3-nerved (nerveless in D. breviglumis) and the culm branches
are never fascicled at the nodes.
