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| Synonyms: |
Digitaria monodactyla var. explicata Stapf Panicum monodactylum Nees |
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| Description: |
A tightly caespitose perennial on a very short rhizome, base surrounded by cataphylls and old leaf sheath remnants. Culm 20–70 cm., erect, glabrous, nodes dark, glabrous. Leaf sheaths glabrous to loosely hairy. Ligule up to 0.5 mm. long, truncate, cilate. Leaf laminae 2–5 × 0.2–0.3 cm., linear, flat, scaberulous and loosely hairy on the superior surface, loosely hairy on the inferior surface, smooth to scaberulous along the margin. Inflorescence of a single raceme, 4–19 cm. long, erect, terminal. Rhachis triquetrous, broadly winged, up to 0.8 mm. broad, conspicuously undulating and wings recurved, smooth to scaberulous, margin thickened, ciliate. Pedicels 2-nate, 0.5–2.5 mm. long, triangular, densely scabrous on the superior part, broadened at the apex, bearing a coronula. Spikelets 2.7–3 mm. long, oblong-lanceolate, basally adaxially gibbous. Inferior glume absent or obsolete. Superior glume c. 1/2 of the spikelet, oblong-triangular, 3-nerved, the central nerve poorly developed, appressed hairy, hairs white or rufous, stiff, acute, overtopping the superior glume. Inferior lemma as long as the spikelet, oblong-lanceolate, with recurved margins, 5-nerved, appressed hairy, hairs slightly overtopping the spikelet. Superior lemma as long as the spikelet, oblong-lanceolate, acute, basally gibbous, sharply keeled, pale brown. |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | |
| Habitat: | In dambos, wet grassland, vlei areas in open grassland on sandveld |
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| Worldwide distribution: | Angola, DRC, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Zimbabwe distribution: | N,W,C,E,S |
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| Endemic status: | |
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| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 21. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 13. Clayton, W.D. (1989). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(3) Pages 154 - 156. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 102. |
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