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| Synonyms: |
Digitaria diagonalis var. glabrescens (K. Schum.) Peter Digitaria diagonalis var. hirsuta Troupin Digitaria diagonalis var. uniglumis (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Pilg. Digitaria grantii C.E. Hubb. Digitaria lasiostachya Peter Digitaria trichopodia Stent Digitaria uniglumis (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Stapf Panicum diagonale Nees Panicum diagonale var. glabrescens K. Schum. Panicum diagonale var. uniglume (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Hack. Panicum uniglume Hochst. ex A. Rich. |
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| Description: |
A tightly caespitose perennial, base surrounded by densely hairy cataphylls and fibrous leaf sheaths. Culms 50–120 cm., erect, glabrous, nodes dark and glabrous. Leaf sheaths scaberulous, loosely to densely hairy. Ligule 0.5 mm. long, rim-like, irregularly ciliate. Leaf laminae 10–15 × 0.2–0.4 cm., flat or involute, scabrous on both surfaces, scabrous along the margins. Inflorescence composed of 10–30 racemes, 8–14 cm. long, erect or sometimes arching, few together or solitary along a well developed common axis. Rhachis triquetrous, narrowly winged, up to 0.3 mm. broad, smooth to scaberulous with scabrous margins. Pedicels 3(5)-nate, 0.3–3.0 mm. long, triangular to compressed, scaberulous, much broadened at the apex, with a well developed coronula composed of (2)5–10 long bristles, these overtopping the spikelet. Spikelets 1.4–2.1 mm. long, ovate. Inferior glume absent or extremely short. Superior glume 1/4–1/3 of the spikelet, ovate, nerveless, glabrous, hyaline. Inferior lemma as long as or somewhat shorter than the spikelet, ovate, with narrow recurved margins, 3-nerved, hyaline, glabrous. Superior lemma as long as the spikelet, ovate, apex acute, pale to dark brown. |
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| Habitat: | Miombo woodland, (degraded) savanna, mountain grassland, vlei and wet rocky outcrops. |
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| Worldwide distribution: | Tropical and South Africa |
| Malawi distribution: | |
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| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 342. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 21. As Digitaria diagonalis diagonalis Clayton, W.D. (1989). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(3) Pages 140 - 141. (Includes a picture). Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 35. Also as Digitaria uniglumis major 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. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 85. |
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