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| Synonyms: |
Digitaria elegans Stapf Digitaria melinioides Mez Digitaria stolzii Mez |
| Common names: | |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | |
| Description: |
A tightly caespitose perennial, bulbously thickened base surrounded by woolly cataphylls and old leaf sheath remnants. Culms 40–70 cm., erect, glabrous, nodes dark, glabrous. Leaf sheaths glabrous. Ligule c. 0.5 mm. long, truncate, shortly ciliate. Leaf laminae 5–10 × 0.3–0.4 cm., linear, flat, scaberulous on the superior surface, glabrous on the inferior surface, scaberulous on the margin. Inflorescence composed of (6)10–17 racemes, 2–7 cm. long (incl. pedicel), few-flowered, long pedicelled, sometimes branched, a few together or all solitary along a long, well developed common axis. Rhachis triquetrous, scarcely winged, up to 0.4 mm. broad, smooth with smooth to scabrous margins. Pedicels 2-nate, 1–3 mm. long, triangular to compressed, basally smooth, asymmetrically broadened at the apex, bearing a setulose coronula. Spikelets (2.5)2.8–3.2(4.1) mm. long, oblong. Inferior glume absent or obsolete. Superior glume c. | of the spikelet, oblong-triangular, 3-nerved, the central nerve poorly developed, basally conspicuously spurred, appressed hairy, hairs white to purple, stiff, acute. Inferior lemma as long as the spikelet, oblong with recurved margins, 5-nerved, appressed hairy, densely on the inferior half, in 4 rows on the superior half Superior lemma as long as the spikelet, oblong, acuminate, basally spurred, but not gibbous, pale yellowish green. |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | nitens: glossy, shining |
| Habitat: | Miombo woodland, often degraded, or on rocky outcrops and dambos. |
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| Worldwide distribution: | Angola, DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Mozambique distribution: | |
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| Endemic status: | |
| 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. Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 21. Clayton, W.D. (1989). Poaceae Flora Zambesiaca 10(3) Pages 150 - 152. (Includes a picture). Jackson, G. & Wiehe, P.O. (1958). An Annotated Check List of Nyasaland Grasses The Government Printer, Zomba, Nyasaland Page 36. 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. Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 146. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 85. |
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