J.K Wipff

Plants annual, perennial, or of indefinite duration. Culms 5-250 cm, erect or decumbent, branching basally or at aerial culm nodes, when annual or of indefinite duration usually decumbent and rooting at the lower nodes. Sheaths open; ligules membranous, sometimes ciliate; blades usually flat. Inflorescences terminal, sometimes also axillary, usually panicles of 1-sided spikelike branches (sometimes only 1 branch) attached digitately or racemosely to a rachis, sometimes simple panicles of solitary, pedicellate spikelets; spikelike branches, if present, sometimes with secondary branches, primary branch axes triquetrous, bearing spikelets abaxially, in 2 rows, usually in unequally pedicellate groups of 2-5, occasionally borne singly. Spikelets 1.2-8.2 mm, lanceoloid to ellipsoid, dorsally compressed, apices obtuse to acuminate, unawned, with 2 florets; disarticulation beneath the glumes. Lower glumes absent or to 1/4 as long as the spikelets; upper glumes usually from 1/6 as long as to equaling the spikelets, occasionally absent, 0-5-veined, usually pubescent; lower florets sterile; lower lemmas membranous, usually as long as the upper lemmas, usually pubescent, (3)5-7(13)-veined; lower paleas absent or reduced; upper lemmas mostly stiffly chartaceous to cartilaginous, obscurely veined, with 0.5-1 mm hyaline margins that embrace the upper paleas; upper paleas similar to the upper lemmas in texture and size; lodicules 3, cuneate; anthers 3. Caryopses plano-convex; embryos1/5-1/2 as long as the caryopses; hila punctiform to ellipsoid. x = 9. Name from the Latin digitus, finger, a reference to the digitate inflorescence of some species.

Digitaria has approximately 200 species and grows primarily in tropical and warm-temperate regions, often in disturbed, open sites. Some species are grown as cereals; others for forage or as lawn grasses. In North America, the genus is best known for two of its weedy species, D. sanguinalis and D. ciliaris. There are 29 species known to occur in the Flora region; 18 are native to the region.

Most annual species of Digitaria will survive several years in regions without a pronounced cold season; such species are described as being of indefinite duration.

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SELECTED REFERENCES Boonbundarl, S. 1985. A biosystematic study of the Digitaria leucites complex in North America. Ph.D. dissertation, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, U.S.A. 238 pp.; Gould, F.W.1975. The Grasses of Texas. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, Texas, U.S.A. 653 pp.; Henrard, J. 1950. Monograph of the genus Digitaria. Universitaire Pers Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands. 999 pp.; Kartesz, J. and C.A. Meacham. 1999. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0 (CD-ROM). North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, U.S.A.; Kok, P.D.F., P.J. Robbertse, and A.E. van Wyk. 1989. Systematic study of Digitaria section Digitaria (Poaceae) in southern Africa. S. African J. Bot. 55:141-153; Veldkamp, J.F. 1973. A revision of Digitaria in Malesia. Blumea 21:1-80; Webster, R.D. 1981. A biosystematic study of the Digitaria sanguinalis complex in North America (Poaceae). Ph.D. dissertation, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. 156 pp.; Webster, R.D. 1983. A revision of the genus Digitaria Haller (Paniceae: Poaceae) in Australia. Brunonia 6:131-216; Webster, R.D. 1987. Taxonomy of Digitaria section Digitariain North America (Poaceae: Paniceae). Sida 12:209-222; Webster, R.D. and S.L. Hatch. 1981. Taxonomic relationships of Texas specimens of Digitaria ciliaris and Digitaria bicornis (Poaceae). Sida 9:34-42; Webster, R.D. and S.L. Hatch. 1990. Taxonomy of Digitaria section Aequiglumae (Poaceae: Paniceae). Sida 14:145-167; Wipff, J.K. and S.L. Hatch. 1994. A systematic study of Digitaria sect. Pennatae (Poaceae: Paniceae) in the New World. Syst. Bot. 19:613-627.

T.A. Cope (1993) Poaceae Flora of Somalia 4: 148-270

Plants annual or perennial. Leaves usually linear and flat; ligules short membranous or scarious rims. Inflorescences composed of spikelike branches, these digitate or attached to an elongate axis; branch ax,es flat of 3-angled; spikelets in groups of (1-)2-3(-6), lanceolate to oblong, elliptic, flattened on the front, rounded on the back; lower glumes small, appressed; upper glumes membranous, usually equaling the florets, rarely shorter and exposing the upper lemmas; lower florets sterile, the prominently veined lemmas usually equalinag the upper lemma, often hairy, usually with the hairs forming stripes between the 1st and 2nd lateral veins and along the margins; paleas absent; upper lemmas chartaceous to coriaceous, finely longitudinally striate, margins flat, hyaline enfolding and concealing most of the palea, acute to acuminate. Caryopses oblong, plano-convex, acute to subacute.

Digitaria includes about 230 species. They grow in tropical and warm temperate regions.

Key to Digitaria in Somaliland and Somalia.

Global distribution of Digitaria.