Digitaria fuscescens (J.Presl) Henrard

synonyms: Digitaria pseudo-ischaemum


creeping kūkaepua‘a


Info

Subfamily: Panicoideae
Genus etymology: Digitaria = "having fingers" [Latin] refering to the inflorescence structure
Species etymology: fuscescens = "turning dark brownish" [Latin] refering to the fertile lemma in fruit
Photosynthetic type: C4 (warm season)
Nativity: naturalized - accidental
First recorded in Hawaiʻi: 1916

Map

 Distribution of Digitaria fuscescens in Hawaiʻi.

Inflorescence

Digitaria fuscescens Inflorescence
Digitaria fuscescens Inflorescence

Plant

Digitaria fuscescens Plant
Digitaria fuscescens Plant
Digitaria fuscescens Plant

Habit

Digitaria fuscescens Habit
Digitaria fuscescens Habit

Spikelets

Digitaria fuscescens Spikelets
Digitaria fuscescens Spikelets
Digitaria fuscescens Spikelets

Description

Habit: Annual; mat forming. Culms rambling; 4-30 cm long. Ligule an eciliate membrane. Leaf-blades 1-5 cm long; 1-4 mm wide. Inflorescences: Inflorescence composed of racemes. Racemes 2-5; paired, or digitate; unilateral; 1-7 cm long. Rhachis broadly winged; with rounded midrib. Spikelets in threes. Fertile spikelets pedicelled; 3 in the cluster. Pedicels unequal. Spikelets: Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.2-1.6 mm long; falling entire. Fertile Spikelets: Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 1.2-1.6 mm long; falling entire. Glumes: Glumes one the lower absent or obscure; reaching apex of florets; thinner than fertile lemma. Upper glume elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; (3-)5 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous. Upper glume apex acute. Florets: Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 7 -veined; glabrous; acute. Fertile lemma elliptic; 1.2-1.6 mm long; cartilaginous; much thinner on margins; pallid, or light brown; without keel. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea cartilaginous. Distribution: Africa: west tropical, west-central tropical, east tropical, and western Indian ocean. Asia-tropical: India, Indo-China, Malesia, and Papuasia. Pacific: southwestern, south-central, northwestern, and north-central. South America: Mesoamericana, northern South America, western South America, Brazil, and southern South America.
(Description source: Clayton, W.D., Vorontsova, M.S., Harman, K.T. and Williamson, H. (2006 onwards). GrassBase - The Online World Grass Flora. Available at https://powo.science.kew.org )

Annuals; culms ascending from a creeping base, 4-30 cm tall. Sheaths glabrous, rarely with scattered hairs; ligule 0.5-2 mm long, truncate, erose; blades 1-5 cm long, 1-4 mm wide. Inflorescence composed of 2(3) digitate racemes, the racemes 1-7 cm long; spikelets ternate on a ribbon-like winged rachis, narrowly ovate-elliptic, 1.2- 1.6 mm long; first ghume a minute hyaline rim or absent, second glume as long as the spikelet, (3)5-nerved, glabrous; first lemma as long as the spikelet, 7-nerved, glabrous; second lemma yellowish to brownish, as long as the spikelet, apex often bluish at anthesis, acuminate; palea enclosed within lemma, and similar in texture and color to it. Caryopsis ellipsoid, pale brown. [2n = 1531 18, 36.]
(Description source: O’Connor, P.J. 1990. Poaceae, pp. 1481–1604. In: Wagner W.L., Herbst D.R. & Sohmer S.H. (eds.)., Manual of the flowering plant of Hawaiʻi. Vol. 2. University of Hawaii Press & Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu )