Key to Digitaria

View taxon page for Digitaria

(For a list of species in Digitaria, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Inflorescence panicle-like, branches 

appressed 

Parallel or nearly parallel to and often in contact with surface of origin; used to describe the disposition of hairs, leaves, pedicels, etc.

to 

ascending 

Curving or angling upward from base, or about 30-60 degrees less than vertical or away from axis of attachment.

; 

spikelets 

1. In Poaceae, one or more florets (each a flower with subtending lemma and generally palea) and generally 2 subtending glumes; in a sterile spikelet, the flower(s) and sometimes palea(s) are rudimentary or absent. 2. In Cyperaceae, the smallest aggregation of flowers (generally more than 2) and associated bracts.

conspicuously silky-hairy, hairs 1.5–5 mm ..... D. californica var. californica

1' Inflorescence branches ± digitate, 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

; spikelets glabrous or marginal hairs < 1 mm

2. Spikelets generally 3 per 

node 

Position on a stem from which one or more structures (especially leaves, buds, branches, or flowers) arise.

on a branch; lower 

glume 

In Poaceae, each of generally two sheathing bracts that are the lowermost parts of a spikelet, subtending one or more florets.

0 or reduced to a membranous 

scale 

1. Wide, appressed, membranous, epidermal outgrowth (e.g., Cheilanthes covillei) 2. Structure partially or entirely covering an over-wintering bud (bud scale) (e.g., Salix goodingii bud). 3. In gymnosperms, a woody, seed-bearing structure attached to the cone axis (cone scale) (e.g., Abies magnifica). 4. In Asteraceae, a flat, membranous pappus element (e.g., Hymenoxys hoopesii). Leaves or bracts may be scale-like in one or more of the preceding ways.

or rim ..... D. ischaemum

2' Spikelets generally 2 per node on a branch; lower glume 0.2–0.8 mm

3. Leaf 

blade 

Expanded portion of a leaf, petal, or other structure, generally flat but sometimes rolled, cylindric, wavy, or cupped.

generally scabrous on both surfaces, except few swollen-based hairs present at base of adaxial surface; 

sheath 

A surrounding or partially surrounding, often tubular structure or part of a structure, such as a leaf base in Apiaceae or Poaceae.

rounded ..... D. ciliaris var. ciliaris

3' Leaf blade generally with swollen-based hairs on both surfaces; sheath keeled ..... D. sanguinalis

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) . Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ [accessed on ]

Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on .

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