382 



Digitaria Iburua, Stapf [Gramioeae-Paniceae] ; affinis. Z?. 

 fernufae^ Stapf, sed spiciilis iiiajoribus glaberrimis densissime- 

 imbricatis distiiicta. A D. exili, Stapf, simili differt spiculis 

 nmlto arctius aggregatis, pedicellis aiigulatis scaberulis apice 

 hand in discum dilatatis, ghima superiore tenuiore 3TitiltO' 

 breviore. 



Annicat, over 0-5 m. Ligli. Culms glabrous, erect, simple, Avitli 

 4-5 nodes ; iiiternodes enclosed in the sheaths, excepting the 

 uppermost. Leaf sheaths tight, striate, glabrous, smooth, the- 

 lower keeled upwards ; Ugules membranous, rounded, broad, 

 2-3 mm. lono* ; blades linear, rather broad at the base, long and 

 finely attenuated upwards, up to 30 cm. long and 1 cm. wide, 

 flat, with some long hairs near tlie base from behind tlie ligule, 

 m.id-rib slender, prominent above, primary side nerves about six 

 on each side. Racemes subconiposite, 4-10, digitate, the lowest 



6 



8 



\ 



7 



4 



D- Iburua. Fig. 1, j>art of raceme x 6; 2, part of rliachis spikelets 

 removed X H; 3, spikelcfc; 4, upper glume ; 5, lower valve ; 6, upper valve 

 wiLh valvule of lower florec hi front ; 7, upper valve, back view (the middle 

 nerve is thiiinini? out towards tlie base; it, as well as the side nerves are- 

 much less marked thau shown in the drawitiir) ■ g, valvule; 9, fruithi£r 

 spikelet; 10, seed. Figs. 3-10 X 10. 



usually somewhat distant (1-2 cm.) from tlie remaining-, which. 



are closely crowded, auherect, 12-13 cm. long-, slender, dense, 

 pale green ; ' ' ' 



whit 



1 mm. wide. 



angles 



green, 



rhachis triquetrous, slightly over 

 rounded and smooth on the *bach, 

 narrowly winged scaberulous; hranchlots finelv filiform, adp'ressed 

 to the rhachis, up to 5 mm. long, about 4 mm. distant, bearing 

 up to five spikelets from near the base, angular, scaberulous, Avith 

 short hairs or almost glabrous; pedicels similar, the lower very 

 s loit the upper up to 2-5 mm. long, tips minutely bearded, 

 slightly tlvickened. Spikelets tightly imbricate, elliptic-lanceo- 

 late, subacute at the base, acute at the tips, 2 mm. long, pale 

 green quite glabrous, flat on the aba.xlal face. Glumes very 

 aeucate, hyalme, the lower quite minute or suppressed, tlie upper 



