DIGITARIA, LINN. 



SPIKELETS lanceolate to elliptic-oblong, flat in front, convex on the back, fall- 

 ing entire from the pedicels, usually 2-3-nate, and pedicelled on the triquetrous or 

 dilated rhachis of very slender and usually spiciform racemes or false spikes ; lower 

 floret barren reduced to the valve and a very minute rudimentary pale ; upper 

 perfect. Pale of upper floret subequal to the valve, 2-nerved, of the same texture. 

 Lodicules 2, minute, broadly cuneate. Stamens 3. Styles distinct; stigmas 

 laterally exserted near the tip of the floret. Grain tightly enclosed by the slightly 

 hardened rigid valve and pale, oblong, slightly dorsally compressed ; hilum basal, 

 punctiform ; embryo less than half the size of the grain. 



PLATE 136. 



DIGITARIA MONODACTYLA (Stapf, Fl. Cap., Vol. VII., p. 373). 



I'KKENM AL, compactly tufted, innovation shoots intravaginal. CULMS very 

 slender, erect, l-l foot long, glabrous, 1-2-noded above the base, simple. 



LKAVKS crowded at the base. Sheaths very tight, glabrous, or scantily hairy, 

 the lower firm, persistent, at length sometimes breaking up into fibres. Ligules 

 very short, truncate. Blades setaceously convolute, filiform, 2-4 inches long, rather 

 rigid or flexuous, glabrous or scantily hairy, smooth. Racemes spikelike, solitary, 

 terminal on the long exserted culm, very slender, 2^-5 inches long ; rhachis wavy, 

 very narrow, ciliate, midrib obtuse, stout. Pedicels 2-nate, densely ciliate, unequal, 

 the longer up to f line long. 



Si'iKKLETS subimbricate, adpressed to the rhachis, the superposed ones distant 

 almost bv their own length, oblong-lanceolate, up to Ij line long, with silky and 

 adpressed hairs. Glumes, lower ; upper linear-oblong, f to almost 1 line long, 

 long and densely ciliate, 3-2-nerved. Valves, hirer oblong-lanceolate, subacuminate, 

 ii}) to Inline long, 5-7-nerved, densely and long ciliate, particularly along the 

 marginal nerves ; npi><>r 3-nerved, subchartaceous, ovate-lanceolate, subacuminate, 

 1 line long, smooth, brown ; flaps of pale very broad below, overlapping. Anthers 

 I line long. 



Habitat: NATAL. Near Newcastle, llm-liaiian 181; also in Cape Colony 

 ;md Free State. 



Drawn from Buchanan's specimen, which is the only one in the Government 

 Herbarium. 



Di(/i/'/ri has lately been separated from Paiiiatm, of which genus it forme 1 



;i section. 





Fij;. 1. I/ifjiile : 2,portiou of rhacliis with spikek-ts : 3, upper -fliiinc ; 4. lower valve. 

 font view ; 5, same, 1m. -k view : 0, upper valve: 7. pale: K, stigmas, stamens and lodienks. 





