Compilation
Digitaria lancifolia

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Name

Identification
Digitaria lancifolia Henrard [family GRAMINEAE ] (stored under name); Verified by Not on sheet.,
Related name
  • Digitaria horizontalis
  • Digitaria usambarica
  • Digitaria pearsonii
  • Digitaria lancifolia

Flora

Entry for DIGITARIA pearsonii Stapf [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 pearsonii Stapf [family ], in F.T.A. 9: 434 (1919). Type: Angola, Cazengo, Pearson 2333 (K, holo.!)
Panicum abyssinicum Chiov. var. velutinum [family POACEAE], in Ann. 1st. Bot. Roma 8: 294 (1908). Types: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Halai, Pappi 1955 & Caribozzo, Pappi 2817 & many other syntypes (all FI, syn.!)
Digitaria lancifolia Henr. [family ], in Blumea 1: 102 (1934); Ann. list Nyasaland grasses: 35(1958). Type: Tanzania, Rungwe District, Kyimbila, Stolz 1237 (L, holo., K, iso.!)
Digitaria abyssinica (Chiov.) Henr. var. velutina [family ], Monogr. Digitaria: 3 (1950)
Information
Straggling perennial with wiry rhizomes; culms 30–60 cm. high, geniculately ascending, decumbent and rooting at the nodes below. Leaf-blades narrowly lanceolate, 2.5–12 cm. long, 3–15 mm. wide. Inflorescence ovate, of 6–20 racemes laxly spreading from a central axis 2.5–15 cm. long; racemes 3–17 cm. long, simple or with numerous secondary branchlets 0.5–5 cm. long, the spikelets paired (on the branchlets sometimes solitary) and openly spaced on a triquetrous rhachis. Spikelets lanceolate, 1.7–2.3 mm. long; lower glume an ovate scale, 0.2–0.3 mm. long; upper glume 2/3–3/4 as long as the spikelet, 3-nerved, pubescent on the margins; lower lemma as long as the spikelet, 7-nerved, sparsely and obscurely pubescent; fruit ovoid, golden or mahogany brown.
Range
DISTR. U2, 4; K7; T1–3, 6–8 Ethiopia and Zaire to Angola, Malawi and Zimbabwe
Altitude range
300–2600 m.
Distribution
KENYA Teita District Teita Farmers T.C., 6 May 1975, Robertson 2182!TANZANIA Lushoto District Amani, 14 Apr. 1968, Renvoize & Abdallah 1475!TANZANIA Njombe District Lupembe, 20 Mar. 1931, Schlieben 430!TANZANIA Songea District 3 km. NE. of Mpapa, 25 May 1956, Milne-Redhead & Taylor 10453!UGANDA Toro District Bwamba Pass, 16 Nov. 1935, A.S. Thomas 1434!UGANDA Ankole District Bugangi, 17 Sept. 1929, Snowden 1431!UGANDA Kigezi District Nyanja swamp, 24 Mar. 1951, Norman 84!
Notes
D. pearsonii is intermediate between D. abyssinica and D. velutina; it is often confused with these two species. The amount of secondary branching varies considerably, but there is no clear demarcation between plants with branched and those with simple racemes.

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