Compilation
Digitaria gazensis

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Name

Identification
Digitaria gazensis Rendle [family POACEAE ] (stored under name);
Related name
  • Digitaria rukwae
  • Digitaria proxima
  • Digitaria gazensis
  • Digitaria nyassana
  • Digitaria diagonalis
  • Digitaria sanguinalis
  • Digitaria nyssana

Flora

Entry for DIGITARIA gazensis Rendle [family ]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora of Tropical East Africa
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of Tropical East Africa, page 451, (1982) Author: W. D. CLAYTON and S.A. RENVOIZE
Names
DIGITARIA gazensis Rendle [family ], in J.L.S. 40: 228 (1911); F.T.A. 9: 457 (1919); Fl. Agrost. Congo Belge 2: 37 (1934); Ann. list grasses Ug.: 14 (1947); Imp. Grassl. Pl. Kenya: 58 (1951); R.K.G.: 49 (1958); Ann. list Nyasaland grasses: 35 (1958); I.G.U.: 26 (1960); G.T.: 77 (1965). Type: Mozambique, Beira, Swynnerton 1593 (BM, holo.!)
DIGITARIA sanguinalis Rendle var. interrupta [family ], Cat. Afr. Pl. Welw. 2: 164 (1899). Type: Angola, Huila, Lopollo, Welwitsch 2675 (BM, holo.!, K, iso.!)
DIGITARIA parlatorei Chiov. var. microstachya [family ], in Ann. Bot. Roma 13: 41 (1914). Type: Zaire, Shaba [Katanga], Bovone 39 (TO, holo., K, photo.!)
DIGITARIA herpoclados Pilg. [family ], in Wiss. Ergebn. Schwed. Rhod.-Kongo-Exped. 1911–12, 1: 200 (1915); I.G.U.: 26 (1960); Van der Veken in B.J.B.B. 31: 128 (1962). Type: Uganda, Bunyoro District, Butiaba, Fries 1980 (UPS, holo., K, photo.!)
DIGITARIA villosissima Chiov. [family ], in Nuov. Giorn. Bot. Ital., n.s., 26: 61 (1919). Type: Zaire, Shaba, Ditunguru, Bovone 1 (TO, holo., K, photo.!)
DIGITARIA nyassana Mez [family ], in E.J. 57: 192 (1921), as “ nyssana ”; Henr., Monogr. Digitaria: 501 (1950). Type: Malawi, without precise locality, Buchanan 1449 (B, lecto., K, isolecto.!)
DIGITARIA antunesii Mez [family ], in E.J. 57: 193 (1921). Types: Angola, Huila, Mounyino, Antunes 379 & 382 (both B, syn., K, photo.!)
DIGITARIA usambarica Mez [family ], in E.J. 57: 193 (1921); Henr., Monogr. Digitaria: 770 (1950). Type: Tanzania, Usambara Mts., Holst 223 (B, lecto.)
DIGITARIA proxima Henr. [family ], in Blumea 1: 104 (1934). Type: Tanzania, Iringa, Kambi ya Mboga, Zimmermann 2603 (B, holo., EA, iso.!)
Information
Densely tufted perennial, arising from a short knotty rhizome, the basal sheaths tomentose; culms 30–200 cm. high, erect; nodes villous. Leaf-blades 3–30 cm. long, 2–10 mm. wide. Inflorescence of 6–20 racemes arranged on a short common axis 2–14 cm. long; racemes 5–20 cm. long, the spikelets paired on a triquetrous rhachis or sometimes on short appressed secondary branches. Spikelets narrowly elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, typically purplish grey; lower glume a truncate or obtuse cuff; upper glume as long as the spikelet, (3–)5-nerved, pubescent; lower lemma as long as the spikelet, 7-nerved, pubescent with short white, tawny or violet hairs, these fine and smooth with curled tips; fruit ellipsoid, pale grey or yellowish to dark purplish grey.
Range
DISTR. U1–4; K3, 4, 6; T1–5, 7, 8 Zaire and Sudan to Mozambique and Namibia; Madagascar
Altitude range
1200–2600 m.
Distribution
KENYA Trans-Nzoia District 24 km. S. of Kitale, 31 Aug. 1952, Bogdan 3547a!KENYA Uasin Gishu District Turbo, June 1958, Gosnell 676!KENYA Nairobi, 29 May 1959, McCallum Webster K.178!TANZANIA Arusha District Arusha National Park, 30 May 1968, Renvoize & Abdallah 2470! & Engare Nanyuki R., 5 Apr. 1968, Greenway & Kanuri 13431!TANZANIA Kondoa District Itundwi, 15 Jan. 1928, Phillips & B.D. Burtt 1092!UGANDA W. Nile District Mt. Otzi, 7 June 1936, A.S. Thomas 1968!UGANDA Bunyoro District Masindi, Feb. 1940, Lewys-Lloyd 254!UGANDA Ankole District near Ruborogota [Ruborogoto] and Kagera R., 15 Apr. 1929, Snowden 1340!
Notes
A variable species, typically with fairly long racemes of grey spikelets; further aids to recognition are the tomentose base, grey fruit and cuff-like lower glume. It is strictly perennial with a knotty rootstock, and may thus be distinguished from D. leptorhachis. There is a tendency to intergrade with D. rivae and D. rukwae, both of which have brown fruits; and with D. abyssinica which has glabrous spikelets. D. herpoclados has few (2–4) short (3–5 cm.) racemes, and is best treated as a local segregate or depauperate form of D. gazensis.

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