160 GRASSES OF BRITAIN. 



DiGITARIA SANGUINALIS. 



Hairy Finger -Grass. 

 Plate LXX. 



Specijic Character. — Ribs of lowermost floret smooth. Glumes 

 very unequal. 



Description. — Root annual, fibrous, producing several stems from 

 six to eighteen inches in length. Stems branched and decumbent at 

 the base, then ascending, smooth, hollow, striated, polished, bearing 

 usually four leaves, with more or less hairy sheaths ; the upper sheath 

 much longer than its leaf. Ligule of upper sheath prominent, rounded, 

 and hairy at the base. Joints usually three, situated near the base, 

 and mostly covered by the sheaths. Leaves short, flat, rather broad, 

 generally rough on both surfaces, with rough, white margins. The 

 hairs, which are more distinct on the lower sheaths, especially near 

 the joints, spring from small tubercles. Injlorescence digitate, the 

 branches long, erect, and linear, from three to nine in number. 

 Rachis flattish, and somewhat angular, with the margins minutely 

 toothed, bearing unilateral spikelets arranged in pairs on footstalks 

 of unequal lengths, the one having the long footstalk being fertile, 

 while the other is barren. Spikelets dorsally compressed, of an oblong- 

 lanceolate form, composed of two glumes and two florets. Glumes 

 two of very unequal size, the lowermost very small, resembling a 

 membranous scale ; the upper glume, acute, downy, three-ribbed. 

 Lowermost floret of one palea, flat, of an oblong-lanceolate form, with 

 five smooth ribs, and the margins very pubescent. Upper floret of 

 two paleee of equal length, frequently tinged with purple on one side 

 only ; outer palea obscurely three-ribbed, granulated in longitudinal 

 lines, the margins neither hairy or scabrous ; inner palea with folded 

 margins not fringed. Filaments three, rather longer than the paleae. 

 Anthers short, violet-coloured, cloven at each extremity. Styles two, 

 slender, about the length of the stamens. Stigmas purplish, short, 

 feathery. Seed hard and polished. 



Bigitana sanguinalis, Scopoli, Smith, Hooker, Bab., Lind. Panicum sanguhmle, 

 Linn., Koch, Kunth, Engl. Bot., Knajip, Curtis, Schreb., With. Syntherkma vulgarc, 

 Sthrad. 



