Digitaria eriantha* Steud. Allg. Bot. Z. Syst. 12: 468 (1829). Classification. (GPWG 2001) : Subfamily Panicoideae. Paniceae.
Type of Basionym or
Protologue Information: T: von Ludwig s.n., South Africa: Cape: Cape
of Good Hope.
Recent synonyms:
D. decumbens, D. pentzii
Key references
(books and floras): [2002] D.Sharp & B.K.Simon, AusGrass, Grasses of
Australia.
Habit.
Perennial. Rhizomes absent. Stolons absent or present. Culms erect or
geniculately ascending or decumbent, 40–120 cm tall, 5–7 -noded. Mid-culm
internodes glabrous. Mid-culm nodes glabrous or pubescent. Leaf-sheaths
scaberulous, glabrous on surface or hairy. Leaf-sheath auricles absent. Ligule
a fringed membrane, a ciliolate membrane, 2–4 mm long. Leaf-blades flat or
involute, 5–20 cm long, 2–4(–7) mm wide. Leaf-blade surface scaberulous or
scabrous, glabrous.
Inflorescence.
Inflorescence digitate, with racemose branches. Racemes 3–10, erect, 5–20 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, oblong,
dorsally compressed, 2.2–3.5 mm long. Rhachilla internodes brief up to lowest
fertile floret.
Glumes. Glumes
dissimilar, thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate, membranous, without
keels, 0 -nerved. Upper glume oblong, 0.9–2 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.
Fertile lemma 2–3 mm
long, without keel. Lodicules present.
Continental
Distribution: Africa, Australasia, Pacific, and South America.
Australian
Distribution: Western Australia, Queensland, Lord Howe.
Western Australia:
Gardner. Queensland: Moreton, Port Curtis, Wide Bay.
Notes.
Introduced; Qld. Flowers Dec.
